RWBY: ANEW
by R.W.B.Y.Pioneer17
Summary: In the world of RWBY, our heroes have gone through so much pain and turmoil to surpass the insurmountable trials and obstacles thrust upon them. But what if they didn't have to? What if they didn't have to be the ones to shoulder the fate of Remnant? What if someone else with even greater power were to bear that cross?
1. chapter 1: Outlandish beginning

**A/N: Hello there and welcome readers. Fair warning, this is gonna be quite lengthy but if you wish to skip this and jump right into the story it's totally understandable, it's not like I'm gonna get mad or something like that lol, I just wanna talk about some things before we start.**

**Okay, so as you guys might already know this story is a fanfic of Rooster Teeth's animated series entitled RWBY created by the legendary legend Monty Oum, may his epic soul forever rest in peace. I have been watching this show since it first came out on YouTube and I have been a fan ever since. The animation, the plot, and the fight scenes, my God almighty the fight scenes, I was hooked by it all. Sure all those three have somewhat been altered since the passing of Oum but the show is still going strong and it still has not failed to entertain me and the legions of other RWBY fans out there.**

**Now, what is the purpose of this story's creation you may ask? Well, I've got a number of reasons, four actually, but the foremost is that Volume 6 is now finished, and if my sources are right then it's going to take at least a year before volume 7. And so, to help entertain the fandom until the next volume comes rolling around the corner I've opted to write this story, which brings us to my second reason.**

**For years I've been a member of F. and for years I've been reading a variety of stories written here. I've read simple stories, epic stories, audacious stories, and even half-arsed stories. After spending all that time reading other people's stories I've recently come to develop an urge to make a story of my own.**

**And if your wondering, yes I have absolutely no experience in writing, only the occasional essays and reports here and there, which now brings us to my third reason.**

**I want to improve my writing, to hone it, to master it and expand my horizon in the art of writing, the whole shebang. I don't wanna sound brazen but I aim to be able to write the same way as the other big-shot authors out there, namely Coeur Al'Aran, Dravyn LeCrux, PaulXion, College Fool, Zelkova 48, Jiu-Jitsu dude, KytyouVsWriting and THE LONE WANDERER. And these are the just the ones I am aware of, I'm certain there are a ton of other famous authors out there but I digress, my point is that I'm also doing this to better my writing prowess.**

**And my last but definitely not the least reason is my little sister. She used to love this series but after volume 3 she just sort of lost her passion for it. I'll write about what exactly she said and give this reason more detail on another chapter because if I write it here it'll only increase the number count dramatically and I don't really want that happening if I can help it.**

**S****o yeah, that's pretty much all there is to it. Anyways, now that we've gotten that out of the way go on ahead and have your first look at this story of mine. I pray that you guys will come to enjoy and appreciate this.**

**Oh and feel free to comment and review, all forms of criticism are duly noted and highly appreciated. More notes at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY and honestly I never will lol, also all other references that you'll see belong to their rightful owners. I am by no means a plagiarist, I am merely getting inspiration from them.**

**The events, characters, and firms depicted in this story are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual firms, is purely coincidental.**

* * *

**Moffet Federal Airfield**

**1/24/2047**

**8:35 AM **

**(Main POV)**

As I stand in front of the aircraft's slowly descending ramp, the hum of the C-17 Globemaster's engines shutting down fill my ears as the sun's rays gradually shine through the growing gap, engulfing me in its warm glow. I stand there steadfast for a few more seconds until finally, with a soft thump of metal hitting the asphalt, the ramp fully opens. And not a moment later I immediately spot a black Cadillac Escalade limo, flanked on both sides by a fleet of armored S.U.V's of the same color, 10 on the left flank and another 10 on the right, hastily making their way towards my location.

_"Hmph. Leave it to America to make one hell of a conspicuous entrance." _I thought jokingly as I walked down the ramp while the convoy of cars stopped and killed their engines but not before forming a Vee formation a good few feet away from me with the limo being front and center.

A few seconds passed before the limo's chauffeur stepped out and briskly moved towards the passenger seat where he gently opened the door and stepped aside with a slight nod. And not a moment later a figure came out, or to be precise, a curvaceous woman with bright and bouncy shoulder-length auburn hair with clear streaks of white, gunmetal gray eyes, olive skin, a beautifully aged oval-shaped face, sporting an onyx colored single-button pantsuit with matching heels.

"_Martha Alluwicious Walker..."_

Aside from the scant information that we could dig up, not a lot is known about her, only certain essential details. Graduated summa cum laude from Harvard at the age of 24 in the year 2025, has more than exceptional IQ, garnered the respect and praise of those with high authority and was immediately nominated and served as the secretary of defense twice before being appointed as the director of the CIA in the year 2039.

_"...I guess her being here means she found out about me coming along. Well, I did expect as much. Nothing can really stay hidden from the CIA after all." _I thought begrudgingly as Martha made her way towards me.

After a few seconds passed she stopped short a good distance from me. And like a well-timed mechanism, all the doors of the S.U.V's opened simultaneously and I could see approximately 120 agents, presumably CIA's, all wearing their standard suits and armed with their pistols strapped to their holsters by their hips, getting out of their vehicles and quickly formed an echelon formation behind Martha. I am not a man that can easily be intimidated but the mere sight of a dozen agents synchronously forming a defensive wall in such quick succession was enough to make me flinch a tad bit.

_"Grabe naman. I know all about safety first and the like but bringing along an entire fucking brigade of agents is just overkill." _I look towards Martha and find her glaring at me with an intensity so profound that I found myself tensing my muscles out of instinct. She herself can't really do anything against me alone but that fact doesn't really matter when there's the fact that she has more than 100 armed and ready to shoot personnel at her beck and call.

"_If this goes any further I think I'm going to find myself dodging through a hailstorm of bullets soon. But if I go first though_

Martha, quickly recognizing my animosity, raised her right hand and spoke in a calm but authoritative voice.

"That would be unwise agent Bonifacio. Even with your prowess and inhuman capabilities you will find your choice of initiating violence in this situation to be a severely poor one. While I am certain you can subdue more than half of our numbers with me included, you will have your hands full with the ones left. And furthermore the consequences you will face later on, considering if you are still alive by then, will surely be more than you will be able to chew. So please, why don't you save us all the hassle and just don't."

For a solid minute, I say nothing as I regard her questioningly. Her critical glare did not diminish in the slightest but she did lower her raised hand and linked it together with her other one behind her back. And apparently, after realizing a moment later, was waiting patiently for my response.

I briefly entertained the thought of calling out her hypocrisy before quickly throwing it aside. I've already got this much heat on me and I haven't even left the runway yet.

_"No need to add fuel to a growing fire after all."_

"You are right. I am sorry if I seem hostile Miss but your not really making it any better by bringing that bunch you have with you. I mean come now, an entire brigade? That is a bit much don't you think?" I said as professional as I could with the Americanized Filipino accent clear in my gruff voice whilst gesturing towards the wave of agents behind her.

"No, as a matter of fact, I do not think so. I would have preferred to bring the National Guard and then some but that wouldn't have reflected well with the general public. It would have been ludicrous, yes, but very warranted. And you of all people should know exactly why that is." She intently rebuked with a seriousness that gave the notion that she wasn't at all exaggerating.

While her words rang true, it wasn't enough to stop the frown from forming on my face and the irritated sigh that came quickly afterward. I've been through this kind of treatment more than once in the past, and when you see or hear the same thing multiple times over and over again you eventually get sick of it. And after spending years with this, I've grown very sick of it.

_"I'm already 53 years old damn it and I still get treated like I'm some kind of bully. If only they knew.."_

Throughout the years of my service in the NBI, I have earned a somewhat infamous reputation amongst my peers and my betters. A reputation that I had absolutely no intention or interest in making. Everything that I did, all the good and the evil that I committed, I didn't do it for the money, or the fame, or the duty that was expected from me by my countrymen. No, I did it for one thing and one thing only.

_"..I'm doing this, all of this, for the promise I swore to uphold until the end of my days." _

But of course, she doesn't know that. No one else knows that since no one is willing to believe in something so simple. They believe that a man like me would never base his life off of something as petty as a promise. They believe that I have some hidden motive behind my actions. A secret goal so to speak. I'm still bothered by it but by now I've learned to just phase it out of my mind. Bullshit is bullshit anyway so there's no need to get worked up about something that I know isn't the truth.

_"But I am curious though.." _I mentally mused to myself as I returned Marthas serious and calculating gaze. _"..Just what exactly is going through your head right now director?"_

**(Martha's POV) **

_"So this is the legendary Tobias Ispolinsikiy Bonficaio.__ I must say I'm quite surprised. They said that he's more than seven feet tall but looking at him now he's got to be at least 8 feet tall, maybe more even._ _And_ _just look at the size of him.." _I momentarily sized him up, and though I hid it well enough I couldn't help but gawk at his inhuman physique._ "..How can someone so huge look so lean? How is that even humanly possible?" _

When I caught word that the NBI would be sending him to escort the target I made sure to have the intelligence team dig up all his files and reports. You'd need to know the person your meeting after all. At that time I already knew of him and his infamy but I had yet to acquire the exact details of his reputation. But when I did, I immediately took action in preparing the agency's best agents to work as my security detail. Under normal circumstances, I would never even consider that idea. But from what I've learned, any circumstance with this man involved is anything but normal.

**Bzzt...****Bzzt**...**Bzzt...Bzzt...**

A constant buzzing interrupts my train of thoughts. I momentarily break eye contact with Bonifacio as I reach into my right pocket and take out my phone. One glance at the caller ID and I instantly knew who it was.

_"But why would you be calling me _though I mentally mused as I moved back a bit so that he couldn't hear me, and with a click of a button, I answered the call.

"Martha here," I said with a low but clear tone to avoid unwanted eavesdroppers.

**"Hey, Martha. It's me, Chrisy."**

"Oh, now how did I not know that. I guess you being my sister and is the only one capable of calling this number had absolutely nothing to do with it." I airily cut in with sarcasm thick in my voice as I rolled my eyes.

**"Oh put a cork in it, Martha. You're supposed to be a professional, so why don't you act like it."** Chrisy answered back making a ghost of a smile form on my face.

"Forgive me. It's just that thing's on my end are so...tense. I just needed a bit of a respite as all." I said as I took a sideways glance at Bonifacio's imposing form.

For a few scant seconds, I could only hear silence. Worried, I opened my mouth to inquire if she was okay. But before I could use my voice she answered back. **"I've known you since forever Martha and you don't take the word 'tense' lightly. You told me you were meeting up with someone. Let me guess, he's seven feet tall and looks like he's over two hundred pounds."**

I scoffed playfully at her less than accurate assessment before replying. "Eight feet tall actually. And he looks to be over 300 pounds."

**"Jesus Christ.."**

"I know. I had the same reaction. Though I did well to keep my mouth shut."

**"Damn. What is he even wearing though? And I swear Martha if you say he's wearing giant armor then I'm grabbing my camera." **

My small smile grew considerably at this. "First of all, he's wearing a white long-sleeved collar shirt under a yellowish-brown bulletproof vest, brown cargo trousers, black utility gloves and military boots of the same color, all of it fit for his size of course. And second, you really need to stop playing dark souls Chrisy."

**"Hey! Your one to talk. You use to love that game." **She defiantly hollered back.

"Keyword 'use to'. It was fun...until it wasn't."

**"Oh, whatever."**

I chuckled lightly before I quickly realized my agents were starting to stare at me. I shot them a warning glare and they immediately looked anywhere but my general direction.

**"Hey Martha, is he good looking?"**

"Chrisy!" I chastised her, though I kept my voice as low as I could. "Why in the world would you be asking that?"

**"I'm just curious! No need to get all sisterly defensive on me. I just want to know if the rumors are true." **She defended.

"Oh? And what do the rumors say exactly?" I asked as I intently studied Bonifacio's facial features.

**"Well, I heard he's got a rough-looking square face, a well-chiseled jawline, a pointy chin, gunmetal-gray eyes, messy bronze-colored hair, and oh..does he actually a thick chin strap beard and a chevron?"**

"That is a strangely well-detailed description.." I concluded as I further study Bonifacio's face "..and strangely accurate too, just with streaks of white in his hair."

I hear a gasp on the other end of the phone before Chrisy's cheery voice boomed back **"Oh my God! So it's true! So he is like a hulking old man Logan but with a mustache. And it's chevron no less!"**

I couldn't help but let out a sigh as I rolled my eyes before answering back. "Your love for pop culture references and fascination of facial hair aside, why did you call me in the first place Chrisy? I Iove you sister and you know that but I thought we decided that you should only call this number in times of emergency."

**"Oh shit! I totally forgot. The Prime Ministers arrived early and are now waiting for you before we start the test."**

"What!?" I shouted into the phone so loud that all of my agents, even Bonifacio, jumped in surprise. "And you couldn't have told me that sooner!?" I continued to cry out, not caring in the slightest of the stares that are now focused solely on me.

**"I'm so sorry! It's just that...I don't get to talk to you more often and we had a really interesting topic going on." **She replied in a clearly faux regretful tone.

"Oh don't you worry my little sister. You and I are going to have a very, very, very long talk after this."

**"Aww poo. Well, it was worth a shot. Anyways, I better go see if everything is up and ready for the test. Good luck sis, I'll see you there. Bye, love you lots!"** She ended the call before I could reply.

"Gah. I love you too." I said as I put my phone back inside my right pocket.

"Agent Bonifacio" I called for his attention which he was quick to give. "I have received word that I am needed elsewhere. I will debrief you on your mission when I return. So for now, feel free to wander the base as you wait. My agents will take care of the target from here on out."

After I said that I made my way towards the research and development area of the base alongside 10 of my hand-picked agents accompanying me.

_"I just hope the remaining 110 don't soil themselves around him."_

**(Main POV)**

I watch intently the retreating form of Martha slowly disappear into the distance along with the 10 agents that accompanied her.

_"I wonder what is so important that she is willing to leave me alone after having prepared all this muscle just for my arrival."_

"Excuse us, sir." A voice called out. Looking up, I saw a handful of agents stand in attention behind the one that just spoke. And to both my surprise and utter horror, the agent that had spoken was a woman. A young woman no less.

_"God damned cowards__. Hiding behind a woman of all things." _

"Yes? How may I help you miss?" I gently questioned her while burying my discontent towards the 'men' behind her.

The young woman seemed to have been surprised by my gentle tone, evident by her raised eyebrows. No doubt she, like everyone else, didn't expect I would be capable of doing anything remotely gentle. Yet another thing I have my damned reputation to thank for.

"Miss?" I said, trying to get her out of her stupor.

Moments after I said that she gently shook her head and looked back up to me before replying. "The director's orders were to secure the target until her business is finished here."

"Ah right. Well, he's up there." I say as I point back inside the ship with my thumb and moved aside to let the agents through.

The young woman attentively nodded and turned back to the agents filed up behind her. "All right move in. Take the target to the temporary safe house. Bring more agents with you on the way in the likely case his goons will try to bust him free."

"Yes, ma'am." They replied as they filed their way up the ramp. Though not without taking a few wary glances as they passed by me.

"Forgive them. They mean nothing by it, trust me. It's just that, your reputation is pretty well known here too. And more than once they've lost their stomachs hearing about some of the things you did on your missions." She said with a light cheering tone. No doubt she noticed my slight discomfort of such treatment from the agents.

"Hmm, I see. Well, they are not wrong to do so. I just wish they would not look at me like I'm some kind of monster that enjoys all this." I grumpily replied while crossing my arms over my chest.

"Do you?" I heard her meekly ask in a voice so low that it made me think she really didn't want to actually ask that question as she looked downwards, avoiding my questioning stare.

I sighed. It was like second nature to me now. I've been doing it for so long that most of the time I'm not even aware I'm actually doing it.

_"Well, here we go again." _I thought as I readied once again the passage that I've practically burned into my memory word for word by now.

"Pulling the trigger and doing the deed is as easy as blinking for me. But only, when the barrel is pointed at the right people."

That immediately got her interested, she opened her mouth to question me more but never got the chance when the agents returned, surrounding a perimeter around a large man with a bulky figure. Said man was also in a wheelchair, strapped in a straight jacket, and had his whole entire faced bandaged up.

"Wait a moment now." She said as she questioningly studied the man. "What in the world happened to him?" She continued as she gestured at the man's sorry state.

_"Crap. So much for trying to convince people I am not some kind of sadistic maniac. Well, at least I can safely say this bastard deserved what I did to him."_

"That would be because of me," I said as I uncrossed my arms and pointed at myself with my thumb.

The man, recognizing my voice, started to squirm and whimper through the bandages making muffled cries as he forcefully and futily tried to back away from me.

"This man is the infamous John Dwayne. Leading douche bag of the largest sex trafficking organization in the world and also just loves to be known as 'The big daddy'. But I am pretty sure you already know that by now." I addressed the agents as I made my way towards Dwayne's still struggling form and placed a hand on top of his head which instantly made him freeze.

"And you might also know that this scum had set his eyes on the Philippines. Probably thought he could add another piece to his growing empire." I added as I squeezed Dwyane's head making him whimper and shake in his seat. "You sorely thought wrong, brat." I continued as I added pressure to my grip, briefly thinking about crushing his head and ending him right there and then, but ultimately I went against it and just settled in making him squirm.

_"Do not worry you scumbag. Your going to spend the rest of your worthless life in the deepest and darkest abyss there is, alongside with your fellow shit fucks."_

"What-" The young woman started hesitantly. Taking a large audible gulp she continued. "What exactly did you do to him?" She gestured towards Dwayne's now openly crying form.

Against my better judgement, a cruel smile formed on my face as I let go of Dwayne's head and turned my attention to the young woman that asked. "Now how exactly do you want me to tell you that story young Miss? Do you want the censored version or the non-censored version?"

She took a few seconds to ponder her choices. And with another gulp, she answered. "Uncensored."

"As you wish." I placed my hands into my pockets before continuing. "As I said before, this fuckster came to my country seeking out 'fresh meat' for his business. Our missing person cases went through the roof because of him. And so, no longer able to tolerate the bullshit that was happening, our government took action and contacted the NBI. I was deployed to track him down and radio in his coordinates to HQ. It took me a while but I finally found his base of operations which turned out to be a refurbished building in Makati. It should have been just that too, I'd find him, call in for back up, breach the place and save the victims. But what I saw there..." I sneered at Dwayne before carrying on. "Children, no more than the ages of thirteen and fourteen, were being subjected to acts that no normal human being should ever go through."

A handful of hateful glares and snarls from the surrounding agents were aimed directly towards Dwayne.

"And then? What happened next?" The young woman urged but kept her hateful glare on Dwayne.

I darkly chuckled as I softly shook my head. "Looking back, I realize that it was pretty damn stupid and straight-up suicidal. But meh, I am still alive and it worked so it's not so bad." I flicked Dwayne's forehead with my finger in a not so gentle manner before continuing. "Since I was only in a reconnaissance mission I did not bring any weapons with me so technically I was not armed but I was not weaponless either." I raised both my fists to prove my point.

"You raided the place with nothing more than your fists?" The young woman asked bewildered.

"Well that, and the ton of weapons that they had stockpiled." I look towards Dwayne who's still shaking and now had his bandages wet with his tears. "And this asshole surprisingly had the balls to fight me. I'll admit, I was pretty impressed. I thought he would be like the rest of his kind, all bark and no bite you know. But he was not half bad, little slow yeah but pretty good." I once again grab Dwyane's head reared it upwards as I sneered down at his bandaged face.

"You want me to tell them what I did to you, Dwayne?" I mockingly asked. And the only answer I got was a muffled plea and more tears. Taking this as my cue, I continued.

"First I went in for your legs. Do you remember that Dwayne? Because I definitely do. It's not hard to remember when you were screeching like a little girl."

A mixture of astonished and horrified looks graced the faces of the agents as I carried on.

"Then I went for your spine. I thought it would take me more effort to break it considering your size, but it turns out it was as easy as breaking a toothpick." I chuckled darkly once more as I hammered down the final nail on the coffin. "And last but definitely not the least, your face. I heard that you loved to make women look at that damned face that you love so much as you brutally raped them over and over and over again."

I looked towards the young woman before asking. "What do you think I did to his face, young miss?"

Hesitant to answer the young woman worriedly inspected Dwayne's bandaged face as she swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. After spending a moment to strengthen her resolve, she looked at me dead in the eye as she replied in a clear and serious voice. "You ripped it off. You ripped his whole entire face off."

"Yes. Yes, I did." I replied as I let go of Dwayne's head. An action he greatly appreciated seeing as he made a pleased sigh as I retracted my hand. "And trust me. I wanted to do more but command had ordered me to take him alive so I had to tone down the damage a bit."

"Tone down the damage? You've permanently crippled him." One of the other agents called out.

"And I've scarred him for life." I started back at the agent that called out. "A fate he and the rest of his filth rightfully deserve," I said as I shot Dwayne one last hateful glare.

"Go now agents. Take this shit to your safe house and make sure to lock up the place tight just in case. With me here, the chances of his goons coming to try and break him free are slim. But a chance is still a chance, so make sure to be on your toes. Better to be safe than sorry as the saying goes." I said as I once again inserted my hands into my pockets.

A chorus of nods was my only answer. They formed a perimeter once more around Dwayne as they made their way towards their safe house, wherever that may be. But before they could get too far I called out, or more specifically, I called out to the young woman leading the horde of agents.

"Young Miss!"

Being the only woman amongst the other 109 agents, she quickly deduced that she was the one I was calling for and turned her attention to me. "Yes, sir?"

I stare at her with my eyes hard and face etched in a frown. For a few seconds, I contemplated whether or not I should say it. But in the end, I knew that in this line of work you rarely see the same person twice, so now would be my only chance to tell her. _"I hope she won't take it the wrong way." _I thought as I opened my mouth to say the words.

"You should not be out here, young Miss."

"Sir?" She asked baffled. No doubt she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. No one ever does. At least, not really.

"I mean you should not be out here. In the field." I said as I gestured to the surrounding area. "You should not be in the front lines. You should be back at your headquarters, where life is easier and safer than this."

"Why are you telling me this Sir? And why are you only telling 'me' out of all of us here?" She paused, and with a deep intake and long exhale of breath, she said next the words that always rub me the wrong way. "Is it because I'm a woman?"

I sigh through my nose as I return the hard stare that she was giving me. "No. It is because you do not need to, young Miss." I answered.

"And why is that?" She challenged. Irritation and indignation clear in her voice.

"I am still here. And I am still alive."

The young woman was left even more confused and baffled because of my cryptic answer and could only stare back at me questioningly, curiosity etched in her look.

"It is up to you to decide how you choose to interpret my meaning, young Miss. Whether it is good or bad, it is entirely up to you. Now then.." I say as I turn around and start walking away from them "..I am going to do a perimeter check around the entire base to see if there are any unwanted visitors. Keep your eyes peeled and wits about you." I call back to them as the distance between me and the group of agents started getting bigger and bigger.

Over the distance, I heard the voice of the young woman call out to me but I ultimately decided to ignore it. Because honestly, I wouldn't know what to say or do if I didn't.

_"I can dodge and tank bullets at point-blank range but I cannot afford to open up about my feelings. Oh, the irony."_ I grumbled as I made my way towards the north side of the base.

**Research**** and Development Building**

**A few floors beneath the surface level**

**9:02 ****AM**

**(Martha's POV)**

It took me no more than 10 minutes to finally arrive at the testing area along with my entourage of agents. I take a deep breath to steady myself as I enter the blast room. And instantly all the occupants within, scientists, engineers, other bodyguards, and most importantly the Prime Ministers, looked towards me.

_"Calm yourself, Martha. You've been doing this your whole life so this is of no consequence." _

I opened my mouth to formally address everyone present when a familiar jovial and loud voice broke through the silence like a sledgehammer flying straight through a window.

"Martha!" My younger sister, Chrisy Alluwicious Walker, unabashedly hollered as she quickly brisked towards me. If it wasn't for our age gap and opposite personalities she could have easily been my exact replica. And when said replica was in range she gave me her signature bear hug. A show of affection I appreciated but ultimately thought unneeded.

"Your late dumb-dumb. What took you?"

Slightly annoyed by her behavior I flicked her on the forehead, though I made sure not to add too much force to it.

"One. Never call me a dumb-dumb again. Ever. And two weren't you the one who told me to act like the professional I'm supposed to be. It seems quite hypocritical that you don't live up to your own words." I said in a semi-serious and playful tone.

"Oh, hardy har har Martha." She replied with the same tone as mine as she childishly pouted and rubbed her forehead.

She seemed to have opted to retort with a comeback of some kind but was abrupted by a faux cough from one of the Prime Ministers. A lanky looking man, somewhere around his mid-forties or so spoke up in an aged voice.

"Forgive me if I'm interrupting but we don't have all day. So if you could get on with the test we would highly appreciate it."

Switching back to my serious demeanor I nudged Chrisy on the shoulders, mentally telling her to go. A resolute nod was my only answer as she, with an air of seriousness now around her as well, made her way to the front and center of the blast room. All the other occupants took this as their opportunity to seat themselves in their respective places.

Chrisy scanned the entirety of the blast room. Once she was satisfied with what she saw she cleared her throat and addressed us all.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all. Today you are all going to bear witness to one of humanity's greatest innovations as of yet. But first, allow me to tell you a short story." She coughed into her hand once again before continuing. "Ever since the idea of quantum teleportation first came to be, physicists all over the world have tried to invent ways to further help humanity prosper through the means of quantum physics. The very prospect of instant teleportation from one place to another was far too intriguing to just scrap under the rug, regardless of the potential dangers. So, humanity carried onward. We kept on going through experiment after experiment and failure after failure with each one better than the last.."

She paused for dramatic effect and smiled. She practically beamed with pride and joy.

"..Until now. We finally made a breakthrough. Everyone, I would like to introduce to you, our lives greatest work.." She said while bowing like a showman whilst the metal shields covering the blast room's front windows retracted themselves. And there, for all of us to witness, two large circular machines. Each one had a number of wires and pipelines connected to the foundations keeping them upright and erected. And upon closer inspection, these machines also seemed to have fairly advanced technology etched into their frame. It all looked like something straight out from a sci-fi movie.

"..The very first teleportation device in all of human history. We wanted to give it an awesome name but in the end, we just decided to call it project "Chip and Dale". Pretty cool eh?" She said as she hopped back from her bowing posture.

"Wait. Chip and Dale? As in 'the' Chip and Dale from looney tunes?" One of the Prime Ministers asked, quite perplexed by the fact that the very first machine capable of actual teleportation is named after cartoon characters. I can't blame him, even I wasn't spared from that feeling.

_"Really Chrisy? Your 'greatest breakthrough' and you give it a name like that?" _I mentally grumbled as I facepalmed lightly.

"Excuse me, Miss? May I ask you something?" Another one of the Prime Ministers asked. "Is it one hundred safe for human trials?"

At this Chrisy's upbeat attitude deflated a bit but not enough to remove the bright smile on her face.

"Well, it's not completely one hundred percent safe. There are still a lot of unknown variables that we have to contemplate in order to make at least safe enough to use."

"What kind of Variables?" Another Prime Minister asked.

"Well for one we're still tuning out the coordinate settings. That's why as you can see there are two of those big boys and have wires and pipes connected to one another. That way when one thing goes through portal "Chip", it'll go through portal "Dale" and of course, vice versa.

Nods and murmurs of understanding were passed around the occupants of the blast room. I opted to ask a question of my own but the lanky Prime Minister from before spoke up before I could.

"Can we get on with the demonstration already? I'd like to see if this project was worth all the money we put into it." While I didn't like the way that he worded his intent, I couldn't help but agree with him. No matter how good I'm masking it I can't help but be excited to finally see a project like this bear fruit. And of course, Chrisy was more than willing to oblige.

"Why certainly Prime Minister," Chrisy said as she nodded towards the awaiting group of engineers. Said engineers quickly moved out of the blast room and started to tighten and secure more pipes and wires into both 'Chip' and 'Dale'. Chrisy nodded with satisfaction before turning towards the other group of awaiting scientists and addressing them.

"Ready yourselves and initiate the beginning sequence. Once the engineering team is done lining up the cables I want the system ready."

"Yes, ma'am." Replied the scientists as they briskly made their way towards the controls panel.

For a few solid minutes the only sounds that could be heard were the grating noises of metal and the clicking and flips of numerous buttons and switches as both the scientists and engineers silently and diligently continued to work on their respective jobs.

_"Not long now." _I thought as I glanced towards Chrisy. And just in time to see one of the engineers approach Chrisy and whisper something in her ear. After spending a second to contemplate her response she whispered back to the engineer and said engineer quickly bowed his head and made his way back to rejoin with his group. Whatever it is that the engineer said I knew it wasn't good considering Chrisy cussed "Crapers" under her breath. A cuss that she liked to use whenever thing's don't go according to her plan.

_"Hm. I wonder what's wrong." _I mused as I made my way towards Chrisy, who at the moment was gnawing at her pinky finger. Another indication that she was worried. About what, however, I'd need to find out.

"Chrisy," I whispered when I stood side by side with her. "What's the matter? Did something happen?"

She warily glanced back towards the awaiting Prime Ministers before facing forward again and replied. "Nothing major. It's just that some of the cables have slight fractures. I've already told the engineers to apply a strong filler to seal them up."

"Why not replace the damaged cables with new ones? I think that would be far safer than depending on some filler." I replied as I warily gazed at the engineers applying a grayish substance to some of the cables, presumably the ones with the fractures.

"It'll take too long Martha. And besides, mister old and lanky over there has his undies in twist already. And I don't think having a Prime Minister's ire will do any of us favors." Chrisy replied as she did a sidewards nod to the back.

"Hm. But is it really safe Chrisy?"

She merely chuckled at that and lightly nudged me with her elbow before replying.

"Don't worry too much Martha. We've prepared fail safes just in case things get hairy. And besides, the chances of something going wrong in this situation is pretty.." She trailed off as she opted for a thinking pose. Which led me to continue her thoughts for her.

"Small?" I asked. Hoping against hope that the odds would actually be that amount.

"..Considerable." She finished with a meek laugh and apologetic smile.

"Well, that's very reassuring," I said as I shot her a look that went completely contrast with my words.

Far from being phased by the look I was giving her, she merely crossed her arms together beneath her bosom and replied."Psh. I said it before and I'll say it again, there is absolutely no need for you to worry sis. We've got this in the bag~."

"I still think it's dangerous." I begrudgingly resigned. "But if you say it's safe then I guess it is. You know more about your machine than anyone here. After all, it is yours in the first place."

Chrisy beamed at the reminder. No doubt she's feeling high and mighty at the moment. And who wouldn't be really? If you had your life long project finally come to fruition then you'd smile like a maniac too.

A minute or two passed before the engineers signaled that they had finished their preparations and quickly exited the testing area. Seeing this, Chrisy made her way towards the center of the control panel where she stood as she gave out commands.

"All right everyone. Chip and Dale have been fine-tuned and the system is up and running. We'll now be beginning the startup."

Seeing this as my cue, I made my way back towards my seat and made myself comfortable as Chrisy continued to give out orders to the scientists in charge of the control panel.

"Convert power from the cores to Chip and Dale." A loud humming noise started to resonate throughout the blast room before one of the scientists replied.

"Ma'am. Energy transfer successful. Chip and Dale are now powered up and primed for activation."

"Excellent. Now, begin tethering sequence."

"Yes, ma'am." Another scientist answered back as the cables connecting Chip and Dale started to shimmer. It started faint but the light gradually got brighter and brighter until it practically glowed with great intensity.

"Ma'am. Tethering sequence is a success. Both portals are now linked to each other."

"Very good," Chrisy commented before turning around to face us.

"All right everybody. Hold on to your seats. Cuz this is gonna blow your minds.." She paused a bit before continuing. "..well not literally of course. Or I at least I hope not."

Worried glances and murmurs were passed around the audience as I once again lightly faced palmed and let out a tired sigh.

_"Smooth Chrisy. Real smooth."_Chrisy, completely oblivious to the growing tension in the room, turned back towards the control panel and faced the machines before saying the magic word that we've been anxiously waiting for.

"Activate."

"Activating project Chip and Dale." Two scientists at the center of the control panel called out as they simultaneously pressed two red buttons.

Immediately both the portals started to emanate a strong glow of light as sounds akin to that of a jet planes engines started to surround the entirety of the blast room. At the same time, the whole area started to shake in a not so violent manner but still strong enough to nauseate me slightly.

_"I really hope you were joking about the whole 'blow your mind' bit Chrisy because I swear to God if we die here I'll give you one hell of a scolding in the afterlife." _I morbidly thought as I gripped my chair hard. The action bringing me a tiny bit of closure.

An entire minute of anxious waiting and mental praying passed by before the shaking and the intense light coming from the machines started to decrease in intensity. For a while everyone said nothing. All eyes were focused on the sight before them.

Before their activation, Chip and Dale had a large circular gap in their midsection. Now, however, these gaps were covered up by a light hue, rippling like in a manner similar to that of water within a bucket when it's tapped by a finger. And as we all gazed at the site, with stunned expressions and sheer amazement etched on our faces, a lone voice called out through the sound of gentle humming from the machines.

"Huh. Well, how about that. It worked! We didn't die, and it didn't blow up. Yeah!" Chrisy exclaimed as she made a victory pose.

And just like that everyone present, aside from Chrisy of course, let out the breath that they had been holding. Once that was done, everyone had reacted to the success of the machine's activation differently. The Prime Ministers shared nods and started discussing with one another, though it was probably with good intentions considering the pleased smile on their faces. The scientists and engineers passed around celebratory high fives, shoulder pats, and even the occasional hug. The bodyguards and my agents just kept to themselves. And while everyone was busy with each other's company I noticed Chrisy staring intently at the Machines with a look on her face. A look I know all too well.

_"Oh dear. Time for big sis to step up." _I mentally mused as I made my way towards Chrisy.

Once I was within range from her, I called out. "If you're going to cry then cry. No one will blame you for doing so you know."

Hearing this, Chrisy quickly wiped the tears that had started to form in her eyes with the sleeves of her lab coat before replying. "I'm not crying, Martha. It's just...I got something in my as all."

I rolled my eyes at that, not at all believing her. And judging by the amused smiles of the other scientists neither did they.

"Come here you," I said as I enveloped Chrisy in an uncharacteristic hug, an action that no doubt surprised my agents and even Chrisy herself.

"Martha. Come on, I'm not some little kid anymore. I'm a grown adult now." She grumpily drawled as I continued to hug her tightly. While she was right, she was still entitled to a celebratory hug, and as her sister, I am more than willing to oblige.

"I know. But I'm going to hug you anyway." I said with a light laugh. And though she was reluctant to reciprocate the action, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged back.

"Excuse us." A voice called out from behind us, causing me and Chrisy to let go of each other and turn around to see that it was another one of the Prime Ministers.

"While the activation of the machine is a feat worth celebrating, I and my colleges would like to see it work first hand." The Prime Minister finished with a slight nod.

"Ah of course, of course. Forgive me Prime Minister, I got emotional there for a second." Chrisy replied with a light laugh as she turned around to address the scientists in charge of the control panel. "All right people give me an update. How are Chip and Dale holding up?"

"Chip and Dale are still in optimal condition ma'am." A scientist on the far right called out.

"Energy signatures are stable ma'am." another scientist said.

"Teleportation transmitters are ready for usage. Everything's steady ma'am." another scientist, this one closer to Chrisy, declared.

"All right!" Chrisy exclaimed cheerily before continuing. "Initiate testing sequence."

"Initiating testing sequence.." A scientist called out as they flipped a number of switches. "..now."

Immediately a small rover that had spider-like limbs for legs activated on the other side of the blast room and quickly made its way towards portal Chip. It momentarily scanned the machine before it started to scale its way towards the machines glowing midsection.

"Please don't evaporate. Please don't evaporate. Please oh please don't evaporate." I heard Chrisy chant as she crossed her fingers together and squinted her eyes.

We all watch intently as the rover disappeared into the void which made a droplet noise. Expectantly we look towards portal Dale to see if the rover would come crawling out of it. Seconds turned into minutes as disappointment started to settle in our minds. Worriedly I glance towards Chrisy to see her face etched in a crestfallen look.

"Chrisy-" I opened my mouth to console her but I was abrupted when a shimmering emanated from portal Dale. And not a moment later the very same rover from before crawled out and made it's way back to where it first activated.

"YES!" Chrisy very loudly exclaimed as she raised both fists in the air. "It works! It really works!"

Soon enough the other scientists and engineers joined in Chrisy's celebration as the Prime Ministers at the back clapped softly with smiles on their faces.

I opted to say something when Chrisy enveloped me with the tightest hug I have ever received. "Sis we did it! It works! Our machine works!" She said as she hopped up and down with me still in tow.

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Chrisy's antics. It was quite impossible to retain a serious demeanor when your sister was being so happy.

"Yes, yes I know Chrisy. You did well. Very well." I said as I patted her head lightly.

Chrisy quickly let me go and turned to face the scientist and engineers that also had their fair share of congratulations for her. I look back to the Prime Ministers to once again see that they had engaged in a conversation amongst themselves.

_"Think of the possibilities humanity could achieve with this. This would definitely be a good thing for the CIA. We would no longer need to-" _A bright spark from one of the cables connecting Chip and Dale cut me off from my thoughts. And judging by the lack of reaction from everyone else, no one seems to have noticed it as of yet.

_"What the hell was that? Was it just my imagination?" _But soon enough my own question was answered for me when another spark appeared. Followed by another and another.

_"All right. I'm no scientist but I'm pretty sure that's not normal." _I thought as an alarm sounded off from the control panel.

At this everyone in the room turned their attention back to the front just in time to see another series of sparks shoot off from one the machine's cables. At the same time, the scientist closest to the alarm quickly pressed a number of buttons as more sparks kept on appearing with each one longer and brighter than the last.

"What's going on? What happened?" Chrisy urgently inquired when the scientist let out an audible gasp.

"One of the cables is fractured ma'am. It's making everything go haywire." The scientist frantically replied as the latest spark kept on getting brighter and brighter with no apparent sign that it'd be dimming anytime soon.

"Chrisy..is that suppose to happ-" An explosion so bright that it nearly blinded us accompanied by a shockwave so strong that it shook the entire blast room.

Stunned and dazed I take in my surroundings as I shakily stand up. The first thing I see is Chrisy helping the others get to their feet. The Prime Ministers were fairing no better, some were sitting on the ground holding their heads while some were lying on the floor, though it was pretty obvious that they were still alive.

"Oh my God..." I heard Chrisy call out. I looked the same direction she was looking, and there I saw it. A sight so stupefying that it made me freeze for a split second. Portal Dale was destroyed, its insides and outsides were scorched, dark smoke coming out of it. But what really made me freeze, was it's brother portal, Chip. Said portal was still active but the light that covered its midsection was now glowing violently and is currently swirling in the same manner of a whirlpool.

Quickly breaking out of my stupor I reached out to Chrisy and shook her shoulders. "Chrisy focus. What happened?"

Chrisy looked back at me, fear, worry, and disappointment clear on her face. "The cables. The Fractures must have weakened them. I should've taken better precautions, I should've-"

"That doesn't matter right now Chrisy." I quickly cut her off with another shake of her shoulders. "What matters is that we shut the machine down. You can take down notes later."

She nodded, although weakly, before breaking free from my hold and addressed one of the scientists. "Initiate such down sequence."

"Ma'am, I've been trying multiple times but it won't work. I've already cut off power from the cores but portal Chip is self-sustaining itself." The scientist replied as he kept on furiously tapping numerous buttons on the console.

"What!? How is that possible!?" Chrisy frantically replied as she as well looked at the schematics displayed on the panels screen.

"I don't know ma'am. But at this rate, if my calculations are correct, portal Chip will hit critical mass in a matter of minutes."

"No..." Chrisy said, eyes widening as she looked at the now raging portal.

"Chrisy? What's going on? What did he mean by that?" I asked as a horrible feeling in my stomach started to take form.

"Portal Chip.." Chrisy started, as cracks visibly and audibly started to form on the glass separating us from the machine. "..is going to blow."

"Well.." I said as I took a step back to gaze at the slowly cracking glass. "..shit."

**Research and Development Building**

**Surface floor**

**A few minutes before the explosion o****f portal Dale. **

**(Main POV)**

I had originally planned to wander off to anywhere in the base but my curiosity got the better of me. I instead decided to redirect my course to the same direction that Miss Martha had gone. And after a few questionings here and incoherent stuttering there, I finally arrived at the same place that they said Martha went.

"Research and Development." I read out loud the building's sign as I slowly made my way inside, though I had to crouch down low upon my entry, much to my irritation.

Once I was inside I stood back up to my full height as I scanned my surroundings. There were numerous people moving from one place to another. Some were wearing lab coats giving me the idea that they might be scientists and there were those dressed in green engineering jumpsuits. But what really caught my attention were the people wearing US military uniforms, and unlike the others who were headed to random sections of the building, these people were clearly headed straight towards me. And judging by their tense shoulders and stiff walking, it seemed as if every step they made required maximum will power just to do so.

_"Tang ina naman, really? You lot are supposed to be the pride of this country and yet you all look like your ready to piss your pants. Come on, man up for Christ's sake." _I thought vexed as the soldiers stopped short at least three meters from where I stood.

"Sir you are not authorized to go any further within this sector. Only those with the proper clearance can." The soldier in the middle of the group said as he dutifully stood in attention. I would have commended the man for his action if it weren't for the fact said man was sweating up a storm and was visibly shaking in his boots.

_"Susmaryosep." _I thought exasperated as I let out a sigh. And to add insult to injury, the soldiers mistook my sigh as an act of aggression and quickly took a few steps backward.

"Listen. I am not here looking for trouble.." Because honestly, I think they'd have an episode of syncope if I was. "..I am just here for Director Walker. She and I have some matters to discuss." Though not the absolute truth, it was close enough. Anything to give this lot peace of mind.

"I-I see.." The middle man from before spoke again, though he quickly coughed into his fist when he realized his stuttering. "..Director Walker is currently in a private meeting alongside other dignitaries, so you will have to wait until they finish sir."

"Hmm," I answered back gruffly with a nod as I once again scanned the area. "Is it all right if I wait here?"

The group of soldiers looked to each other with contemplating looks. Not long after the soldier in the middle spoke up.

"It's allowed, sir. But anywhere aside from this area is prohibited." I moved to say I understood but the soldier seemed to have misinterpreted my action and frantically blurted out with arms raised in a defensive form. "Please understand sir, we're just doing our jobs. If it were up to us we'd let you go no problem. But since your not authorized to enter further then you will have to stay here." He paused a bit before continuing "Please."

"All right, all right. I understand." I quickly said before they could jump to any more ludicrous conclusions. "I'll just wait over there. If that's allowed of course." I said as I pointed towards a row of consoles that had stroked my interest when I entered.

The soldiers looked to where I was pointing and visibly sagged with relief. No doubt it's because I complied with their request of staying here and going no further.

_"Well, it's not like I was planning on forcing my way in. I already have a long list of wild monikers under my belt, I have no intention of adding more."_

The middle soldier nodded his head before addressing me. "Yes sir, you are allowed to wait there. And conveniently enough that there is our customary information booth, it's open to everyone and you can use it to keep yourself busy while waiting."

Instead of answering with words that'll probably end up ruining this state of calm that the soldiers are now experiencing I merely nodded as I made my way towards the rows of consoles, or as the soldier put it, the information booth. Although, when I was still an earshot from them I heard the lead soldier order his men to call in reinforcements in case 'something' happened.

_"Hay naku, I don't need to be genius to know what that 'something' is." _I begrudgingly thought as I sat down on one of the chairs set for the booth. Though I also noticed I looked quite awkward sitting on a chair that barely accommodates my size. Nevertheless, I bore the awkwardness with a poker face as I further adjusted my body to make myself comfortable and looked down on the blank screen.

"All right then. How exactly should I-" The console's dark screen suddenly lighting up made me flinch. But the real kicker came when a cheery and digitized voice sounded off from the speakers.

**"Hello there! I am the research and development Virtual Interactive Artificial Intelligence or the V.I.A.I for short. How may I be of service to you?"**

Momentarily I hesitated. But soon enough I quickly recovered and replied "Hello to you as well. I was wondering if I could get a few answers."

**"Why of course. What is it that you need to know?" **The A.I. replied.

_"Let's see now, what should I ask it first?" _I mentally contemplated _"Ah, let's start off with this.."_

"What is the research and development sector all about?" I asked while simultaneously thinking up numerous answers of my own.

**"Ah! An excellent question. The research and development sector focuses on the advancement of projects and inventions made by our esteemed scientists and engineers."**

"I see." I replied with an understanding nod before continuing "You said projects and inventions. What might those be exactly?"

**"I'm glad you asked. We have numerous creations fit for different purposes. Most of our creations are meant for the general public. Namely, medical advancements, rural and urban aid, military, though it is not open for disclosure, we also have special projects."**

The last one sparked my curiosity quite quickly. "Special projects?"

The A.I's voice did not respond right away. Instead, a circular loading icon appeared in the middle of the screen. For a few seconds, the loading icon kept on spinning until an error sign written in red bold letters took its place.

**"I am sorry. But you are not authorized to access such information."**

_"Of course I am not." _I thought as I rolled my eyes at the constant use of the word authorized. _"Well, at least I now know what Miss Martha is here for. If all the secrecy and local is any indication then this 'meeting' she is having must involve these special projects. Otherwise, I fail to see the point in conducting a meeting in a place like this." _

**"Is there anything else you would like to know?" **The A.I. asked.

"Well, how about-" A sudden quake cut me off. Its intensity was so strong it caused all the other occupants of the building to stumble and fall. Thankfully, I was spared from such a fate all due to my instincts kicking at maximum acceleration the second the quake started.

"What the hell was that?" I said out loud as I maintained my defensive crouch.

The answer to my question quickly came in the form of another digitized voice blaring out from the building's PA system.

**"Warning, explosion detected on sub-level alpha. Evacuation is advised. I repeat, this is not a drill, an explosion has been set off, all tenants within sub-level alpha are to be evacuated immediately." **

"Sublevel alpha? Isn't that where the special projects testing area is located?" One of the soldiers groggily said as he shakily stood up.

_"Special projects?" _I gasp, now realizing the severity of the situation _"Miss Martha! She could be in danger!"_

Without wasting any more time I quickly take off in a sprint further into the building. Though the soldiers from before called out for me to halt I dutifully ignored it as I continued to speed through the building's hallways.

_"Sublevel. That means it is somewhere underground. I have to find an elevator."_ I thought as I continued my sprint.

Soon enough I found an elevator when I made a right turn down the hall. I moved to make a dead sprint towards the elevator but stopped when a bunch of soldiers appeared and blocked me from my path.

"You there, halt! You are not allowed to be here! Come with us quietly and we won't have to resort with force." The lead soldier barked as he readied his stun baton.

This, in turn, caused the soldiers behind him to ready their stun batons as well. And to make matters worse, they formed a defensive wall, now completely taking up the entire hallway.

"I'm only gonna say this one last time. Put your hands behind your back and come with us quietly." The lead soldier warned as he and the group behind him inched closer and closer to me.

_"For fuck's sake. I do not have time to deal with this shit." _I mentally cursed as the P.A. system kept on repeating the same warning from before _"Miss Martha could in danger right now."_

"All right. Take it is easy big fella, we're just gonna-"

Quickly taking action I tensed my leg muscles and bent my knees in quick succession and leaped off the ground, using the burst of momentum I shot towards the left moment my left boot made contact with the wall, I mightily pushed off of it towards the right wall, and I repeated this parkour like display, though I had to duck my head low to make sure I don't hit the ceiling, even as I overpassed the stunned soldiers. Soon enough, when I was close to the elevator I kicked off from the wall and did an aerial cartwheel to break my momentum and land directly in front of the elevator's doors.

Cautiously I looked back towards the direction of the soldiers as I pressed the elevator's open button. I expected them to charge at me with their stun batons but all I'm greeted with were shocked looks, widened eyes, and slacked jaws.

"What-" The lead soldier from before spoke up breathlessly "-what the fuck are you?"

Far from being offended by the question I merely scoffed before replying "I am the man that is going to break all your fingers eight different ways if you keep on bothering me."

The soldiers, sensing my animosity, quickly took a step back. One step became two, and two became three until eventually, they decided it'd be better to take flight than fight.

After they disappeared from my line of sight I let out a long-drawn-out sigh.

"You know, I was just joking," I said to no one in particular. "Bl'ayd', I'm going to get a mouthful from the Chief for this."

While I grumbled to myself I noticed that the elevator had yet to open despite a whole minute had already passed since I pressed the open button. Starting to feel ticked off, I press the button again, though this time I now noticed the lack of reaction from the elevator. I pressed it again for good measure and when it didn't react like I thought it would I concluded that it was broken.

"Just my luck." I grumbled, "Now how am I supposed to get down there?"

I look around the hallway for anything that could help me from my predicament. And there, I saw it. In the distance, a metal gray door with a bright neon green sign that had the word stairwell.

"Well, there's that," I said as I quickly made my way towards the door. Upon arrival, I noticed that it was locked seeing as it did not budge when I moved to open it.

"Hay naku. I'm sorry in advance for this" I said as I clenched my fist and reared it back. Then with quick precision, I threw a straight punch square in the middle of the door. And just like I planned it would, the metal door crumpled under the force of my punch and flew off from its hinges.

"You are always finding ways to add more damage to your tab aren't you Tobias?" I begrudgingly said to myself as I picked up the metal door and gently placed it beside the entrance "I just hope that I am not in a hurry all for nothing."

I look down the circular stairwell and as far as I can see I estimate that there is at least 20 flights worth of stairs before the bottom.

_"With a name like a sub-level alpha, it must be the final floor down." _I thought as I prepared my leg muscles for what I'm about to do.

"Well, only one way to find out I guess," I said out loud as I moved into a squatting posture and tensed my legs. Then, with a well-timed simultaneous contract of my leg muscles, I leaped several feet into the air. And immediately gravity did its work and I quickly plummeted downwards.

I believe that most people, and by that, I mean everyone in the world, would have their lives flash before their very eyes if they were plummeting down to their impending doom. But for me on the other hand, plummeting down towards certain doom is essentially what I do every day. So as I'm quickly passing by flight after flight of stairs I merely have a bored expression etched on my face.

Soon enough I see the gray floor fast approaching. I spread my arms wide and straighten my legs for impact. And just as soon as I did that my boots impacted the ground, causing cracks to appear on where I stood.

"Hah. Never gets old." I said as I look around for the exit. And immediately I spot another metal door. I quickly made my way towards it and thanked sweet Mary when I saw it wasn't locked or jammed in any way.

Promptly I opened the door and stepped through. And instantly I was greeted by the sight of figures wearing the same engineering jumpsuits from before quickly making their way towards another metal door in the distance. Though, unlike the one I one-punched, this one was significantly bigger and thicker. And there seemed to be a number of people gathered in front of it.

_"Is that it?" _I thought as I jogged towards as I got closer I noticed that the door seemed to be vibrating for some reason.

"What is going on?" I ask out loud my gruff voice calling in the attention of everyone present in the area.

The one closest to me, a young man, probably somewhere around his early twenties jumped in surprise, they all did actually, before calming down enough to regard me questioningly.

"W-Who are you?" The young spoke up in a quivering voice.

"Someone who is here to help. Now tell me, what happened." I answered back in the most authoritative voice I could muster.

And it seemed to have been enough. The young man attentively nodded before answering "An explosion was detected from within. My team and I came as soon as the alarm went off. We've been trying to get the door open but whatever caused the explosion must have short-circuited the doors software and now it's sealed tight."

I analyze the door with a critical gaze as the vibrating gradually strengthen more and more. Through my analyzation, I figured out that the door is similar to that of a blast door, with two separate metal ends converging in the middle. Not long after I nod my head in resolution before turning back to the engineering team.

"All right everyone, make way. I do not know what is making this vibration but be vigilant in any case." I ordered as I grabbed the two ends of the blast door that met in the middle and gripped them as hard as I could.

"What do you think you're doing?" Another one of the engineers asked.

"What does it look like?" I replied as my fingers dug deep into the doors metal frame "I am going to open this damned door."

What followed soon after was a chorus of stunned gasps from the engineers, the groaning sound of metal being forcefully pushed apart, sparks flying in every direction from the door's mechanized frame, and the sudden vacuum like a pull from within the room.

"What in the world?" I said out loud as the strong pull continued to try and suck me inside. If it weren't for the fact I was gripping the now opened door I would have been taken in by the strong pull.

"Agent Bonifacio!" I hear a familiar female voice call out to me.

Hurriedly I look around the room for the owner of the voice. And soon enough I make eye contact with Miss Walker, who at the moment, was holding on for dear life alongside another person who looked kind of like her.

"Agent Bonifacio!" She called out to me again, her voice muted a bit because of the strong current of wind being sucked in "Thank goodness your here! Hurry and evacuate everyone and get them as far away from here as possible! You see that!?" She nodded her head towards the huge swirling light at the far back of the room "That thing is gonna explode soon! You have to hurry!"

"Right." Without wasting any more time I turn my head back towards the awaiting engineers before barking out my orders "All of you! Form a chain by linking your hands together sidewards! You will act as a human chain for all the occupants in the room to grab on! I will be your anchor! Now hurry! There is not much time!"

The engineers dutifully nodded as they quickly followed my commands to the letter. One by one they raised their arms sidewards and linked their hands together. With each new person added to the link, the human chain got longer and longer until the last person linked their hands with the second to the last and gripped my vest.

"All right! Everyone listen up! Make your way towards the human chain! Grab on to the closest link you can reach, hold on tight and make your way out!" I ordered as I continued to hold on to the blast doors as much as I could.

"You heard the man! Everyone move!" Miss Walker barked out as she and her look-alike slowly but surely made their way towards the human chain. The other occupants of the room quickly followed their lead and they too made their way towards the chain.

It was a slow process but it was working. Though I surmise it was because of the bright swirling vortex trying to suck everyone and everything in. Nonetheless, one by one the men wearing fancy suits, which I realized were the dignitaries, scientists, engineers, and other security agents clambered their way towards me. And when the first person arrived I angled my body to let them pass all the while making sure not to let go of the person holding on to me as an anchor. This process continued for a good minute or two until finally the last ones were making their way towards me, and it just so happens to be Miss Martha and her doppelganger.

"Are you unhurt Miss Martha!?" I shouted over the loud noise coming from the vortex.

"We're fine! I'll give you a further update once we're out of here!" She hollered back.

"Did anyone get sucked in by that thing!?" I nod towards the vortex for further emphasis.

"No! We were all able to hold on tight when the portal started to destabilize and tried to suck everything in!" She answered back as she got closer and closer to me.

"And thank God for that! Who knows where you'll end up if you get sucked in!" The doppelganger hollered back her own response as she followed closely behind Martha.

"What do you mean by that exactly!?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me "What happens if you get sucked in!?"

"Well..." she drawled out "Best case scenario is that you end up getting teleported to God knows where! The worst-case would be you ending up getting evaporated!"

_"Yikes." _I mentally remarked as Miss Martha and her somewhat clone finally reached me and exited the room. When the two of them joined up with the rest of the group I looked back towards the engineers that formed the human chain.

"All right! Everyone has been taken care of! Time to move out!" I barked out as I effortlessly pulled back the man holding on to me with my hand while my other one still held on tightly to the metal door.

And just like how I hoped it would, the force of my pull, though not strong enough to dislocate the arm of the man I just pulled, was enough to retract the whole entire human chain outwards. And it would have succeeded without a hitch if it weren't for the last link breaking off from the chain at the last second.

"AHHHH!" The woman screamed as she flew towards the vortex. I would have let out a shrill cry of my own if weren't for the fact that the woman had luckily managed to latch on a control panel of sorts. But that didn't really mean she was all right "HELP ME!"

"Hang on Miss! I will-" Suddenly the vortex started to increase in size and it's suction intensified so much that the control panel the woman was holding on to started to come off its hinges.

Immediately a horrible realization struck me a like bolt of lightning. This woman was going to die, there's just no doubt about it. With how far she is from me, coupled with the fact that the vortex is getting stronger and her only purchase slowly getting ripped off, the odds are just not in her favor.

_"She is doomed, there is no doubt about it." _I thought dejectedly as I moved to look away _"I am so sorry, I-"_

But before I could tear my gaze from her doomed form she looked up and I instantly froze. Time seemed to have slowed down though I surmise it was probably due to my mind going through hyperdrive. Through flashing bright lights and strong howling winds, I was able to get a good look on her face. A face that was now drenched with tears. And with eyes filled with so much fear, despair, and sorrow, she shakily mouthed a single word.

_"Please..."_

I was off the ground instantly. Using my leg strength to maximum capacity coupled with the help of the pull from the vortex I propelled towards the woman, just in time to catch the control panel as it finally gave way.

"I have you!" I exclaimed as I firmly gripped the control panel and strongly planted my feet on the metal floor making it buckle and bend because of the amount of pressure I applied. "Do not worry young Miss! You will get out of this alive! I promise you this!"

And God be damned I will make sure of that. And she seemed to have believed it as well seeing as she shot me a grateful look and nod.

_"Forgive me, Miss. For almost deciding to do something horrible."_ I mentally reprimanded myself as I continue to formulate a plan on how to get the woman out of here _"It was a momentary lapse of judgment. A mistake I will never make again."_

All the while the vortex kept on getting bigger and sucked even harder making my feet inch deeper into the metal floor and fingers grip the panel tighter.

"Bonifacio! That portal is going to blow! You have to hurry!" Miss Martha hollered from the entrance.

_"I know that damn it! I do not need to be a genius to know this vortex is going to explode." _I thought as I measured the distance between my position and the entrance. _"Crap. I could just crawl my way there but with her extra weight and the vortex pulling us it is going to take time. Time that we, unfortunately, do not have." _I swallowed the fear that threatened to rise up. _"__Then there is no other choice." _

"Miss! Grab on to my hand!" I yelled as I held out my left hand forwards.

She attentively followed suit and gripped my hand with both of hers. And with a quick warning, I let go of the control panel, which flew harmlessly under her as it soared all the way to the vortex and disappeared into it soon after. Quickly I held my right hand over hers and gripped, though not too hard to avoid breaking her hands.

_"This is it. Once I do this...I will most likely not survive." _I glance back at Martha alongside a few other people waiting expectantly at the entrance before turning back to the woman _"At least I will act one last good before I bow out."_

I am not a man that can easily sell a handsome smile considering my looks. But I did my best to show the woman a confident grin to ease her worries before addressing her.

"Live a good life Miss! That is all I ask in return!" I yelled out to the woman.

"What do you-" She never finished her sentenced. With great impeccable timing and flexibility, I pushed off the ground and flung the woman backward with enough measured force for her to reach the awaiting group of people, who safely caught her.

But for me on the other hand. Being suspended in mid-air with nothing to hold on to I ended up going the only way I knew I would. And that was towards the bright swirling vortex. And soon enough I was engulfed in bright light though surprisingly I felt no pain. But before everything went numb and blank I heard the voice of Miss Martha cry out to me. And a second later, I was gone.

* * *

**CHAPTER END...**

**A/N: Yo! So how was it? Was it pretty good? Was it okay good? Was it just good? Or was it pretty bad? Don't be shy to tell me guys, I'm all ears!**

**Ahem...so yeah. This is the first chapter of the story and apparently, it's prologue as well. Now don't get confused or upset if you were able to spot some stuff that doesn't make sense because as the story progresses you'll come to see why it's laid out like that.**

**Now, when will chapter two come out, you may ask? Well, honestly I have no idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm dedicated to this and I will continue its creation, it's just that my life here, in reality, is quite...complicated I guess. So updates will be sporadic, some will take weeks or maybe even a month or so.**

**Just for your information guys. I started writing this in January, so yeah, I'm pretty sure that's enough to give you guys a guess on how long it'll be till the next chapter. Haha sorry in advance for the long wait.**

**Welp, that's all I had to say for now. Thank you for taking the time to read my work and I hope that you will continue to read the next one.**

**Until next time. **


	2. Chapter 2: Baffling Battle

**A/N: Hello again everybody! So sorry for the wait.**

**As I've said in the last chapter's A/N, updates would be sporadic at best and would definitely take time. For the 'why' that is, it's because in real life I'm swamped with various activities. There's my household duties, school work, story research, and of course, there is also the fact that I have to thoroughly make sure that any and all future chapters won't end up the same way as the first, which had a number of errors. Granted there were only a few but still, I consider an error to be a fault and faults must be rectified.**

**Speaking of errors, you guys probably thought that some of the things that I wrote in chapter one were nothing but gibberish and total nonsense didn't you? Ahahahaha! Don't sweat it, I can understand why you'd think that but rest assured, those were not gibberish and nonsense.**** They were signs and hints concerning Tobias' character. If you were able to spot them, I tip my metaphorical hat to you sir or madam, but if you didn't that's all right still.** **Mystery is always something to look forward to as the saying goes.**

**Now before I proceed, I would love to shout out to these awesome people, Kiraraki491, Dirtycoffin, and Crappyidiots. Thank you so much for favoring my story.**

**And of course, there are these guys. The awesome Ladies and Gentlemen that are following my story. The mentioned three from before are here of course**.

**1.) Kiraraki491**

**2.) Sygnus2003**

**3.) Omnia Manifest**

**4.) JcL 107**

**5.) ****Crappyidiots**

**6.) KariBookworm**

**7.) InvertedPanda **

**8.) Dirtycoffin **

**And last but most definitely not the least, a reply to the comments.**

**urmomgeylel: I am honored to have that kind of approval.**

**Sygnus2003****: Thank you for your kind words. It's very much appreciated. Oh and just FYI, Tobias' full name is a low-key component in figuring out his character.**

**Crappyidiots: Haha! Salamat sa salute mo kapamilya! **

**Anyways, I've wasted enough of your time, go now and enjoy the second chapter of this story of mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY and honestly I never will lol, also all other references that you'll see belong to their rightful owners. I am by no means a plagiarist, I am merely getting inspiration from them.**

**The events, characters, and firms depicted in this story are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual firms, is purely coincidental.**

* * *

**Location: Uknown**

**Date: Uknown**

**Time: Unknown**

**(Tobias' POV)**

Ever since my parents died, I always thought about where I'd end up once I finally bite the dust. Would I end up in the golden city in the sky, would I be sent down to the smoldering fiery abyss, or would there be absolutely nothing at all? These thoughts were always at the back of my mind throughout the decades. And even now, as the light that engulfed me starts to fade, I wait expectantly for what I would see on the other side.

_"Will you both be waiting for me?" _I thought as the light gave way to something that I did not expect. It isn't the golden city in the sky, it isn't t the fiery abyss, it isn't t nothing, and unfortunately, it isn't the two people I hoped to see again. It truly is something unexpected.

It's a gray wall. And I'm currently heading straight for it at alarming speeds.

"What the fu-" Is all I could get out before I made contact face first with the smooth wall.

Quickly I tried to latch on to the wall to keep myself from falling but because of the suddenness of the impact and lack of preparedness for it, my reaction time was a bit off. And so, with failing to grip onto anything for purchase, gravity quickly pulled me downwards.

Quickly I regained enough awareness, only to notice that I was high up in the air, and am currently falling straight towards a garbage dumpster. A dumpster that even from a distance could be seen having tremendous amounts of garbage protruding from it.

With the purpose born from not wanting to become one with the garbage I quickly took action. I pushed both of my boots to the wall, which in turn caused me to be veer off course from the dumpster and momentarily halt my descent. But this state of levitation only lasted a few seconds before gravity had it's the way with me again.

As I neared the cobblestone ground I hastily did somersault mid-air to help reduce my momentum a bit. And with one last stretch of my legs, I landed, the sound of impact resonating throughout the dim alleyway.

"Well..." I say out loud as I scan the dim area. "...I cannot say I expected that of all things."

I finish my scan with a hum. From what I can see, I am currently in an alleyway and judging by the dimness of the area and the clear sign of the stars in the night sky, I surmise that it's sometime in the evening.

After spending a whole minute of further contemplating my thoughts, I nodded my head in firm understanding as I came to a solid conclusion.

_"A__ll right. I am definitely not dead." _I thought as I look around for a way to get out of the alleyway.

_"L__ogically speaking, if I truly am dead then I would not have felt the infinitesimal pang of pain when I hit the wall."_

_"And though I can hardly say for sure, I would not be able to feel anything, let alone pain, if I was indeed dead." _I continue to ponder about my current situation even as I finally spot a light post in the distance and make my way towards it.

_"This must be the work of that vortex. Whatever it was, it got me from where I was before to where I am now." _

I reach the light post and just like I thought, I found my way out of the alleyway and into the main road where I was greeted with the sight of rows of numerous buildings with various designs and lamp posts that adorned the wide street giving the area enough light for eyesight to be usable.

_"Wherever this place may be, I believe it would be best if I ask around for some directions." _I thought as I look around for anything or anyone that could help me. Momentarily I thought about approaching some of the people wandering about but considering the time and my 'looks', I'd only end up scaring most of them.

_"I should find another means for directions. I really do not want to start a panic in the middle of the night." _

My eyes traverse the rows of buildings, idly noticing that most of them had their lights turned off. For a moment I dreaded the thought that I'd have to inconvenience a bunch of people by waking up them up in the middle of the night, but that thought was quickly put aside when I noticed a particular building across the street, a store of some sort, still had its lights on.

_"Thank you, God, for small mercies." _I mentally praise the big guy up there for the lucky break as I jog towards the store at a moderate pace.

When I was finally close enough, I noticed the store's sign. It was written in bold red lettering and for the probable purpose of attracting customers, it was all in capital letters.

"From dust till dawn huh?" I read out loud the sign as I study the store's front. "Quite the name," I remark as I try to further see what's inside through the store's window display.

Just when I was about to move towards the store's entrance, I internally felt something tick at the back of my mind. Years of sharpened instincts kicked in as I hastily turned around. All that I'm greeted with is the sight of a few people moseying along the street, some were alone, while others were in groups. This is something that normal people would consider normal. But after spending years of constant exposure to any and all dangers, I know better than to just drop my guard all because everything 'seems' to be normal.

_"There is no mistaking it. That was malice I sensed. And it was directly pointed at me." _I contemplated as I warily look around for the culprit among the populace. _"And it seems they are good at hiding themselves as well. I can still feel it, but I cannot pinpoint where they are." _

And that is by no means a mere small feat. Not only did they succeed in hiding from me, but they're also successfully masking their animosity enough to not get their cover blown.

_"An assassin perhaps?" _I thought as I slowly walked back towards the store's entrance. _"If it really is an assassin, then my best bet would be to fight in close quarters rather than out here in the open."_

Offering the owner of the store my silent apologies for what's to come I duck down low as I push the door open with my boot and make my way inside. Once inside I stood back to my full height as the feeling in my gut returned once more.

_"Crap. I guess we really are going to duke it out in here."_ I mentally curse as I notice a balding man, probably the owner of the store, looking at me with mild surprise, evident by his raised white and bushy eyebrows as he stood behind the counter.

"I am sorry for intruding this late at night sir. But could you help me out with something?" I ask as I walk closer to the counter, though I made sure to put my hands into my pocket, a sign of non-aggression.

The owner visibly sighed and relaxed, thankfully, and replied in an aged voice.

"Of course, of course. What is it you need help with sonny?"

_"Hmm. I am quite sure you are not that much older than me sir." _I pondered but did not voice out. Wouldn't make much sense anyway to blurt out something as random as that.

"I seem to have lost my way and am need of directions. I was wondering if you had any maps available."

"Maps eh?" The man brought his hand up to his chin and opted for a thinking pose.

"I don't think I have any maps for sale, but I do have my own map of the kingdom of Vale in the storage room, I'll show it to you if you'd like." He offered as he dropped his thinking pose and pointed to the back with his thumb.

"That would be very much appreciated sir, thank you," I replied.

The man simply nodded and made his way towards the store's back. But something struck me as odd though, a tickling sensation at the back of my mind.

_"The kingdom of Vale? Is it a part of the United Kingdom?" _I tried to reason but it just didn't add up.

I've read and re-read on every country in every continent of the world and not once did I ever see or hear anything about a kingdom called Vale.

_"What the hell is going on here?_ _It can't be a newly formed country. Something like that would surely make strides in the world and everyone would know about it. And judging by the furniture and technology this store is using, this 'Vale' has been around for some time now._

My thoughts on the matter were interrupted when I noticed something strange while I was scanning the store's contents. Inside the glass counter that I'm currently looking down on, are crystals of various colors. At first glance, I thought that they might be some sort of jewelry but after further inspection, I found out that these crystals were far too different from normal.

"What the..." I place my hand on the glass, directly on top one of the crystals. And for some strange reason, I felt actual heat and energy emanating from it.

Shocked, surprised, and overall weary I quickly retract my hand and take a few steps back from the glass counter.

_"What in God's name? Crystals should not be able to emanate energy or heat, they are not supposed to emanate anything at all."_

Well aside from brightness when it's shined upon but other than that, it's not supposed to feel so...alive.

_"Just what the hell is going on here? First, there is this kingdom that I never knew even existed until this point, and now there are these strange as hell crystals that for some reason give off the same feeling of an armed bomb." _I contemplate as I continue to look around and further study the store's merchandise.

The first thing that I see is the long tubes filled with some sort of...dust, I believe. Dust that apparently had the same color scheme as the crystals from the glass counter. Cautiously I walked towards one of the tubes and slowly put my hand on it. And just like the crystals before, I felt actual energy coming from them.

"This is getting way out of hand," I remark out loud.

But before I could continue to make sense of the situation, my instinctual gut feeling came back in full force, just as I heard the sounds of footsteps coming from outside. And coupled with the suspicious amount of silhouettes that I could see through the frosted display window I surmise that whoever these people are, they aren't here to buy some products.

_"Time_ _to get to work."_

I quickly make my way back to the front of the glass counter, cracking my neck and knuckles along the way, and face the entrance with a determined scowl.

_"I wish I had my guns with me. Next time Chief, I swear I am bringing them, signs of good faith be damned."_

And just as I finished my mental promise the door burst open to reveal my opponent. Standing in front of a group of suited individuals wearing shades for some reason, is a man with long bright orange hair, wearing a red lined white suite, coupled with long black pants, black gloves, and black boots. He also has a grayish scarf around his neck, a black bowler hat with a little feather on its side adorning his head, and is apparently armed with a cane that looks suspiciously weaponized.

"Damn. You're even bigger than I thought you were." The man said as he strolled inside the shop with his entourage in tow.

Having learned that sweet talk with honeyed words is nothing but bullshit and cheap in situations like these, I took the choice I always prefer. And that is the choice of being as blunt as possible.

"What is it that you want?"

"Oooh, feisty. Don't worry big guy, your not what we're here for. This store has some important stuff that we need, so I'm going to have to kindly ask you to leave the area and let me and my boys here do our jobs." The man replied with a voice that sounded way too cocky.

With the way he worded his intent, it's pretty damn obvious what their plans are. They're going to rob this store. They're going to rob a weak and defenseless man.

An image flashed through my mind. It was an image of the owner lying on the floor bloody, beaten, and sobbing as he watches helplessly all his hard work, probably all his life's work, stolen from him. Stolen by a bunch of God-damned sons of bitches, abusing what power they have to commit evil unto the weak and powerless.

"And what makes you think.." I snarled as my face morphed into an expression of seething fury. "..I will let you do that?"

If the sheer venom in my voice and the death-defying look on my face isn't enough to prove what I'd do to them if they carried on with their current course of action, then my evident blood lust surely did the trick.

The suited thugs, for it's what I believe they truly are, quickly and clumsily scrambled to draw their weapons. Swords were unsheathed as guns were drawn. Well suited thugs armed with weapons would have made such an imposing image. Too bad it's not so imposing when said thugs are visibly quaking in their shoes.

And the man leading them?

Well, he was a little better off. At least better than his shaking entourage. He put his right foot behind him as he got into a staggered stance and readied his cane with his left hand like one would carry a cutlass. And though he must have counted on me not noticing, his hands were subtly shaking and a thin sheen of sweat covered the visible parts of his forehead.

"Easy there big guy. You really sure you wanna tango with Roman Torchwick himself?" The man now known as Roman said, probably to work as an act of self-support rather than actual intimidation.

"Kid, I do not give a fuck who you are. You could be Nicasio Salonga for all I care and I would still beat the living daylights out of you." I replied in a menacing manner as I tensed my muscles for battle.

Just when I thought violence would finally break out, the owner of the store came back and called out to me.

"Hey sorry for the wait sonny, I kind of-"

Whatever the man wanted to say it was lost once he took in the sight of me and Roman along with his goons having a classic standoff in the middle of his store.

"Sir, stand back. It is not sa-"

My warning is abruptly interrupted when Torchwick capitalized on the distraction and quickly raised his cane. The bottom lid opened and formed a small optic scope as the now visible barrel of the cane is pointed directly at my face.

I didn't know how this man got his hands on quite the formidable weaponry but what I did know is that it'd be really stupid to just stand there and do nothing as a barrel of a likely gun is pointed at you.

And so, with stunning speed far exceeding Torchwick before he could even touch the trigger of his weapon, I kicked my left leg upwards using shift one strength. The front sole of my boot hit the tip of Torchwick's cane causing it to face upwards as a bright red blast shot out of the cane and blew a gaping hole in the ceiling, exposing its second floor.

Capitalizing on the momentum I had built up thanks to my upward kick, I use the very same leg to push kick Torchwick using shift two strength. And considering my height, my kick ended hitting him in the sternum and was sent flying back towards the door simultaneously knocking down all the thugs that were in his way.

The instant Torchwick made contact with the wooden door I was on him immediately moving at unperceivable speeds. Before he could even raise his guard to defend himself I quickly rear my fist backward in a wide arc before shooting it forwards in an overhand right and hit Torchwick square in the face using shift three strength. With all my weight added to the force of my punch coupled with the momentum I built up from my short dash, Torchwick burst through the door with a mighty crash and is sent sprawling a few feet away.

Shift three of my strength, my killer form. It's more more than enough to punch through solid steel. So normally I'd never considered using it unless it's necessary. But at this point, I'm too pissed to care. I'm already too convinced that this piece of shit called Roman Torchwick had to die.

_"At least the chief won't get another migraine when I kill this guy since this is technically felony and self-defense at the same time."_

But just when I thought I had sent the bastard to the other side something unexpected happened. Again.

"Shon..ufa..bish!" Roman Torchwick cursed angrily as he spat out a large amount of blood and numerous amount of pearly white teeth.

He survived. Sure he lost a considerable amount of blood, face bashed in, and probably had most his teeth knocked out but he survived. From a shift three punch with added force no less. And he also appears to be...shimmering for some reason.

_"Whoa now. What the hell is the meaning of this?" _I ponder as I inspect the fist that I had used to slug Torchwick. _"Have I gotten weaker?"_

No, that's not it. I had pulverized Dwayne just a few days ago, so there's no way I could have gotten weaker in that short amount of time. But still, I had snapped Dwyane's spine and destroyed his legs with single hits and that was in shift two of my strength. I hit Torchwick with a shift two and shift three combos, that should've been enough to kill him.

"Yeur gonga pay por dish!" Torchwick angrily yelled as he groggily got to his feet before shakily grabbing his cane and pointing it towards me. The shimmering from before now gone.

_"And what in the world was up with that shimmering?" _

Leaving that as food for thought later, I spread my arms wide, my palms facing downwards, and bend my knees in preparation as Torchwick fired off a red blast. Instead of dodging it I run towards the blast and jump over it and do a dive roll. Once I was facing Torchwick again, I shot off towards him as he fired off another blast, this time I was too close to just jump over it so I ducked down low, the blast grazing my hair by a mere fraction, I then quickly rolled once and continued my charge. He tried to fire off another shot but I was already within reach. I slap his cane to the side, the blast going off a good distance from us leaving a wide crater on the road.

_"Thank God the people were smart enough to vacate the area. It would have been more complicated had there been any people around."_

I then swing a low hay-maker using my left towards his legs making him flip vertically, and before he could fall over I leap forward and deliver a quick right cross to his stomach making him soar through the air and crash to the asphalt ground with a loud thud.

"Argh..." Roman wheezed as he coughed up a large amount of blood.

_"He is still alive?" _I thought amazed and slightly disturbed that this man had survived not one but two of my shift three blows.

While still dazed, groaning, and most likely dying from internal bleeding, Torchwick did not notice me picking up his weaponized cane that had been separated from his person when I sent him flying with my cross. I study the cane intently for a few seconds before expertly twirling it a number of times and pointing the barrel down towards Torchwick's prone form.

Through half-lidded eyes, Torchwick saw and understood what I was about to do. With death literally hanging over him he found his second wind and it renewed his will to survive. He surged upwards and moved to grab the cane with both of his hands, but missed completely when I moved it out of the way when I reared it back before swinging it forward and smacking Torchwick right on the cheek. More blood and a new set of teeth came out as he rolled a few times before stopping and lying sprawled in the middle of the road.

_"Time to end this." _I thought as I slowly walked towards Torchwick and point the barrel end of the cane at him once more.

"Stop!"

But before I could pull the trigger, a voice cried out from behind me. It was a voice that sounded like it belonged to an adolescent girl. And yet, the sheer passion in it was enough to actually make me pause.

Slowly I turn around to meet the owner of the voice. And I find that it is indeed a girl. A little girl with fair skin color and dark hair wearing a black long-sleeved dress with a high collar and red trim on the sleeves, a black waist cincher with red lacing up the front, a black skirt that also has a red trim, and appears to be wearing thick black stockings, a red cloak and combat boots that oddly look semi identical to mine.

"What are you doing here kid? It is not safe, get as far away from here as possible." I warned the kid to make sure she wouldn't get in harm's way, though I was also hoping that she wouldn't have to bear witness to what I'm about to do.

"No! I know what you're about to do and I won't let it happen!" The girl cried out again. "Your a huntsman aren't you!? Well, huntsmen aren't supposed to kill the bad guys! You beat them up and then send them to jail!"

The girl looked genuinely pissed and I'm even left astounded that a girl as young as herself could recognize my killing intent. She closed her eyes and took a long shaky breath before snapping them back open and pointing towards the direction of Torchwick's prone form.

"You've already beaten him! His aura is cracked and he's down for the count! All you have to do now is call the police and let them handle it! There's no need for you to go any further than that!"

I couldn't come up with an immediate response. How could I? A number of things were running rampant in my mind and it was honestly starting to give me minor headaches. Firstly I ended up in a never before known place, then I engaged in a one-sided death battle with a dangerous criminal only to be stopped halfway through by a petite looking girl who believes that I'm some kind of huntsman, blurted out something about aura of some sort and amazingly had the courage to tell me off. And what's worse, her words and the amount of conviction in them is actually making me reconsider my current course of action.

_"Ang grabe. Being bossed around by a little kid is not something I expected to happen today when I woke up this morning." _I thought.

With an audible sigh, I shake my head in resignation. While I still strongly believe that permanently getting rid of another stain in humanity would do the world some good, this little girl makes a pretty good point.

"Who are you kid?" I ask as I lower the cane down but still gripped it tightly in my hand in case something happens.

The little girl opened her mouth to answer but is interrupted when the thugs from before ran out of the store and aimed their weapons at the girl.

"Hold it right there! Get on the ground and we won't hurt the midget!" One of the thugs, the closest one to the girl, said while aiming a large handgun directly towards the girl's head.

_"Crap!" _I mentally cursed. Panic and worry quickly worming its way into my mind. Though it was more for the girl's sake than mine.

I was about to hurl the cane towards the thug when the unexpected happened for what felt like the third time.

"Midget!?" The little girl exclaimed as she whirled around to face the thugs. "I'll have you know I drink milk!" She continued as she drew some kind of red rectangular mechanism of sorts if the metal lining and bolts were in any indication.

And right before my very eyes, the rectangular object started to shift and unfold until it formed itself into a mechanized scythe. And to make things even more confusing, the young girl who I first surmised to be weak and frail thanks to her features, spun and twirled the mecha scythe with such grace and poise before expertly impaling the scythe's blade into the ground.

"What?" Is all I could muster to say. Never before have I ever been this surprised and judging by the reactions from the thugs they're just as shocked as I am.

"And I'm a huntress." She declared as she bent her knees in preparation.

And before my mind could fully fathom everything that was currently happening the little girl grabbed her scythe and turned into a literal red whirlwind that charged towards the leading thug. Once in range she reappeared with her scythe in tow and swung the tang end of her weapon, hitting the thug right in the chest and making him soar in the air. Before the thug even started to fall back down to the ground the girl once again morphed into a whirlwind and charged towards the thugs with the swords and once in range, she spun her weapon twice before sending the thugs flying with one swing.

_"What..." _I thought mesmerized by the display.

Without stopping the little girl reared the head of her scythe behind her as she faced the last standing thugs. To their credit, they tried their best to fight back by firing off a few rounds from their handguns. But the little girl barely paid this any mind, with a sound closely resembling that of a shot from a 50 BMG sniper rifle, the girl charged towards them and with quick succession spun her scythe a few times before sending them flying and knocking them out with a mighty swing.

"And that.." The girl said as she swung the scythe over her shoulder and placed her free hand on her hip. "..takes care of that."

For a few seconds, my brain quickly tried and failed to come up with any logical conclusion to explain what I just witnessed. There were a few ideas and thoughts tossed around, but none of them added up and made sense.

_"Just what is going on here!?" _I practically screamed on the inside. But on the outside, I'm merely looking at the girl with a passive look due to my brain running full speed a hundred miles per hour.

Before I could further ponder about my sanity the girl turned back around to face me. While I utterly despise the thought of harming women, I couldn't stop myself from tensing my muscles in preparation. The rational side in me is telling me this girl is no threat seeing as she only went for the thugs and not me. But another part of me, the part that had been sharpened by years of survival experience, urged me to not take that chance.

But before I could truly make up my mind, the girl's eyes widened as she pointed behind me.

"He's getting away!"

Normally I'd call that out as a bullshit way to distract me. But knowing who I was fighting with and that they were indeed behind me the last time I saw them, I took a leap of faith and looked back, though I made sure to be ready in the case she'd capitalize on my momentary distraction.

But it turns out I didn't have to. True to her words, Torchwick is indeed getting away. He's currently climbing up a steel fixed ladder heading towards the roof and is already at the top.

"Quick! We have to stop him before he gets away!" The little girl exclaimed as she morphed into a whirlwind and zoomed towards the ladder.

All my thoughts on safety and caution are quickly thrown aside at the very sight of a girl charging headfirst into danger. For better or for worse, I just cannot and will not ever leave a girl of all things to fight a battle that she does not need to fight.

And so, using once more my shift three strength I practically leap off the ground and quickly dashed towards the ladder cane in tow. On my way there I passed the red whirlwind, which up close I figured out that its color scheme is due to it being made out of rose petals, and an audible squeal of surprise came from within. Knowing that it'd take me longer to get to the top using the ladder I quickly opted another way. Once I was close enough I jumped vertically as high as I could, which by my estimate is at least a hundred inches high, and using my free hand I grabbed onto the building's wall and hauled myself upwards all the way to the top. Once the building's ledge came into view I spin Torchwick's cane and use the handle as a hook to pull me the rest of the way and safely land on the roof.

Immediately my eyes lock on to the limping form of Torchwick making his way inside an aircraft of sorts. He momentarily looked back in my direction with widened eyes before hastily disappearing further within the strange-looking aircraft.

_"You are not escaping on my watch." _I thought as I made a quick dash towards the aircraft.

But before I could reach the entrance, the aircraft turned it's engines towards me, sending strong gusts of wind and dust making me pause in my advance. This momentary lapse of focus cost me the chance to board the aircraft. And just when I thought the aircraft would take off, it suddenly stopped moving. Its engines were still blaring so it's still sending gusts of wind but for some odd reason, it's frozen in place and glowing a purple hue.

_"All right, it is official..."_ I thought as I continue to look at the stunning sight. _"...I believe I have gone insane." _

"Whoa!" A voice that I remember belonged to the girl in red gothic clothing excitedly exclaimed from behind me.

"Are you the one doing that!?" The girl euphorically asked as she stood beside me, her hair being blown apart by the wind.

But oddly enough she wasn't addressing me when she asked that question. She instead addressed the woman that's slowly walking towards us. A well figured middle-aged woman if my eyes were working right. Said woman had light blond hair tied in a neat bun with a curl hanging down at the right side of her pale white face. She appears to be wearing a white long-sleeved pleated top with a wide keyhole neckline, gauntlet cuffs that flare in pleats at the wrist, a black high-waisted pencil skirt with bronze buttons, black-brown stockings, and black boots with brown heels. And as she came closer I noticed that her eyes are bright green and is wearing thin ovular glasses, a green teal pendant on her collar and dangling earrings of the same color, she's also wearing a purple and black cape and had a black riding crop which is currently being pointed at the aircraft and is apparently glowing in the same purple hue as the ship.

"Thank you for your diligence huntsman. I'll take it from here." The woman addressed me with a nod while ignoring the starry-eyed girl before she readjusted her glasses and started waving her crop in a circular motion and rearing it backward.

With my mind still raging to save whatever piece of sanity I had left, I could only lazily mutter a short response.

"Sure..." I said as I witnessed the ship literally being turned a hundred and eighty degrees by some unseen force.

This unexpected turn of events brought me out of my wild stupor. While I'm just dying to know what in God's heavenly name is going on, I'm still aware of the fact that evil is trying to escape and for reasons I've yet to uncover this blond woman with some kind of superpower is helping me apprehend them.

_"Well, Papa always did say to never pass up an opportunity for a woman to aid you." _

And with that thought laid bare, I moved to sprint towards the aircraft's now visible entrance only to stop abruptly when a woman in a red dress with golden linings, or at least I'm sure it's a woman but seeing as she's covered by shadow it's hard to make out her features, stood in front of the entrance. She raised her palm towards us and once again my mind threatened to blackout of shock when a blast of fire shot off from her hand.

I was about to grab both the girl and the blond woman away from the trajectory of the blast when a split second later the blond woman waved her crop in a circular motion and a spinning purple runic shield appeared out of thin air and blocked the explosion. Not a moment later the spot we were standing on started to glow and heat up considerably. Unlike my late reaction from before, I successfully grabbed the girl and the blond woman and jumped out of the way just as a fiery explosion set off from the same spot I just jumped from.

"Thank you for that." The blond woman said as she stepped away from me and fired off multiple purple blasts towards the red-dressed assailant.

The woman in red spread her arms wide as a red runic shield appeared and blocked the blasts.

"Tsk." An irritated sound came from her as she reared her crop back before pointing it forwards and sending another purple blast towards the aircraft. Only this time the blast is sent directly above it and detonated.

And right before my eyes, a literal storm appeared from the point of the blast's detonation. Once the storm had reached its full size, the blond woman swiped her crop down and a moment later shards of ice rained down from above. The woman in red raised her hands upward as multiple runic circles enveloped the storm and as she swiped her raised hands downwards the storm that had been raining ice shards dissipated in bright light.

"Damn it. She's strong." I heard the blonde woman mutter under her breath as she whipped her crop downward.

The debris that had been scattered about started to glow in a familiar purple hue before an unseen force levitated them all off the ground and converged them into a huge spear. If I hadn't already seen enough weird things beforehand, my mind would have jarred at the sight but at this point, the shock started to get more and more muted with every passing moment.

The blonde woman pointed her crop towards the red-dressed assailant, not a moment later the huge makeshift spear of debris that had been harmlessly levitating off the ground shot off in the direction of the aircraft. The woman in red fired off multiple huge red blasts towards the makeshift spear, causing it to explode and scatter. In response to this, the blonde woman waved her crop in a circular motion, this caused the scattered debris to glow and reform the spear and continue its charge. For a moment I thought that it'd hit the woman in red but then the aircraft tipped down to the side causing the spear to impact it's upper hull instead. Because the spear didn't have any other material keeping it together, other than the mysterious purple force, it shattered upon impact. But the blonde crop user wasn't done yet, she waved her crop around once more, and once more the scattered debris glowed and started to attack the aircraft in multiple areas.

The woman in red crossed her arms in front of her and a bright light started to take form. A second later she spread her arms wide and a blinding light engulfed my vision. Having stared at the growing light before it had detonated momentarily blinded me. But thanks to my eyes having adapted from numerous situations with flashbangs, it only took me about a few more seconds for my vision to return to normal. And once it did, the first thing I see is the same eye like markings from before decorating the spot we were standing on, only this time there were more than just one.

"Move!" I yell urgently as I push the two out of the incoming blast radius while simultaneously backflipping to safety and opting for a half-kneeling stance.

I raised my head back up to face the assailant in the case she'd follow up with more attacks. But as it turns out I didn't have to. The moment I raised my head back up the aircraft had already zoomed off into the distance.

"Crud..." I cussed out loud. I really wanted to say something more vulgar than that but knowing I had within my presence two females I thought that it'd be best if I didn't act ungentlemanly.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" The little girl excitedly exclaimed. "You're a huntress! Can I please have your autograph!?" She continued as she put her hands together in front of her.

It was cute and adorable in a way. But I didn't dare voice it out loud, I don't need another moniker like "creepy pedophile" added to the list.

The blonde woman answered by immediately scolding the girl and considering the strict tone she's using it was clear that the little girl wasn't getting her autograph anytime soon. And just when I was about to cut in I found myself strangely compelled to look behind me and knowing my instincts have never failed me, I followed it and looked back.

And I instantly regretted it.

Ever since I went through that vortex nothing has made any sense. I got transported to a place I've never heard of, discovered a weird store selling things I've never known before, fought someone that survived my shift three strength, witnessed a little girl twirl a metal scythe that obviously weighs more than she does, witnessed the same girl turn into a whirlwind of rose petals and single-handedly defeated a bunch of armed thugs, and I even watched a battle transpire between toe women with powers straight out of fantasy. But honestly, all of those pale in comparison to what I'm currently gazing at.

"Uhm...excuse me ladies," I called out to the two females as I slowly turned around to face them.

The blonde woman was still in the midst of scolding the young girl but stopped once I had called out to them and said girl looked more than grateful for the reprieve if the way she visibly sagged was any indication.

"This may seem like an odd question.." I tried but failed to contain the sheer weariness in my voice. "..but why is the moon destroyed?"

* * *

**CHAPTER END.**

**A/N: And boom! Two chapters down only at least several hundred more to go. Ahahahaha!**

**Okay, time to get serious now. Ahem...**

**Not much happened in this chapter, only a few changes from CANON and a little bit of more character building for Tobias. And speaking of CANON it's been quite a while since I saw volume one, cough *4 years* cough, and let me tell you guys, re-watching RWBY from the beginning sent freaking gallons of nostalgia up my spine. I got pretty damn emotional on multiple occasions which is also another reason why this took a while to finish, haha sorry about that.**

**Okay, back to the story,**

**I'll properly lay it out there just how exactly he ended up in that world of all places in future chapters so there's no need to worry. I'm not gonna simply write that he got there because he got there. That'll be way too much of a Deus Ex Machina.**

**And as I've promised I will explain the 'facts' about Tobias in future chapters as well as also the 'baffling' (see what I did there? lol) events that transpired in this chapter. So there's no need to worry about that either.**

**So tell me what you guys think of this chapter. Don't be afraid or shy to share your thoughts, your opinion is as always, highly appreciated and duly noted.**


	3. Chapter 3: Much needed questioning

**A/N: And here's the third chapter folks!** **Now, before you get started, I would like to rant for a bit.**

**Firstly I would love to shout out to the awesome ladies and gentlemen that are still favoring and following this story of mine. You have my gratitude, sirs and madams. And secondly, I would like to apologize for the mistakes in spelling and grammar I did in the last chapter. And for the utter travesty of that last dialogue from Tobias.**

**"Why the moon 'is' destroyed?"**

**My God! The next day when I went online to read the finished product I cringed at every spelling mistake that I did. And when I got to the bottom part and read Tobias' final line, I practically screamed at the screen.**

**"How the actual [muted] could I miss something as [muted] obvious as that!?"**

**Needless to say, shame, regret, and anger mixing in one go did very little to restrain my vulgar attitude.**

**Though please note that the words Torchwick slurred after he got hit was indeed intentional. That is exactly what someone who got their teeth knocked out would sound like if they'd talk. Well, at least in my experience.**

**Still, I messed up quite a bit. It more or less ended up the same way as the first chapter. But hey, at least I'm learning. Don't worry guys, I'll try to ensure that this won't be a recurring theme. I'll find a way to better improve the spellings and grammars somehow.**

**Oh and a few more things. In the show, I believe that it never was truly depicted when Beacon Academy started. So in order for the story to flow better and be better understood (Translation: It'll help me reduce the hassle and mind-boggling hard work XD), I have opted to use the same time and month system that we use IRL. I wanted to use the same year system as well, but man, it's just way too complex really. I mean I can't just go on and type in there 2019 because honestly the years in the world of RWBY were never really expounded on. I tried to use the Wiki and the Fandom, but the closest things that could help me were the birthdates of the characters.** **I'll try my best to find a way around this, don't worry. **

**Also, from here on out, I'm going to use third person imagery whenever necessary and it shall be dubbed as the "Author's POV". I know the name is kinda off-putting but meh, I've got faith it'll work. As for why I'm doing this, it's because after reading and re-reading the chapters, I've also noticed that the action scenes are a bit...lacking. I know that the problem mainly stems from my lack of writing prowess but it's also kinda due to the fact that most of the action scenes in both chapters one and two are described through the eyes of Tobias. Now normally this isn't much of an issue, but I don't think sticking forever in Tobias' POV as a fight sequence goes on is a good choice. Tobias has already developed a sense of familiarity with his strength and prowess so therefore his unbelievable feats are nothing new to him. But, I want the other characters to witness how overpowered he really is and have you guys know what they think of that. And to better write it, I've opted for the "Author's POV". I hope you guys won't mind too much.**

**All right! With that last bit out of the way, go ahead and read on**.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY and honestly I never will lol, also all other references that you'll see belong to their rightful owners. I am by no means a plagiarist, I am merely getting inspiration from them.**

**The events, characters, and firms depicted in this story are fictitious.** **Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual firms, is purely coincidental.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Location: Vale Police Department, inside one of the interrogation rooms.**

**Date: July 1st**

**Time: 5:35 AM**

**(Ruby's POV)**

_"What did I do to deserve this?"_ I think dejectedly whilst looking down on the steel table as the blonde huntress from before continues to scold me.

Right after the whole incident with the evildoer, me and that gigantic huntsman were quickly brought to this place. Vale's very own police department, complete with its very own interrogation rooms. I read on books and magazines how the good guys would interrogate the bad guys in rooms like these, with the bad guys fearfully sitting on the chair while the good guys would use their awesome hero charms to make the bad guys talk.

_"Can't believe I'm the one sitting in the chair though." _

This line of thought, coupled with the scolding from the blonde huntress only further soured my already downcast mood.

"I hope you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady," The blonde woman said as I looked up to stare at her. "you unnecessarily put yourself in grave danger."

Normally I'd never even considered the idea of talking back to my superiors, especially if that superior is a bonified huntress. But I had a legit reason for why I did what I did.

"I had a perfectly good reason!" I blurted out. And I regretted it immediately when the blonde woman's strict eyes narrowed and focused on me.

"I-It's just that...I thought that he n-needed some help." I stuttered out.

The blonde huntress quirked an eyebrow at this. For a few scant seconds, she seemed to ponder on my answer before eventually she lowered her raised brow and answered back.

"Needed help you say?" She started. "And whatever gave you that idea?"

"W-Well, there were a lot of them." I wracked my brain for anything else to add. "A-And not to mention! I was the one that took down the other thugs while he was busy fighting."

A bit of pride swelled up in me after saying that. I had never before fought any real bad guys. Sure I had my spars back in Signal Academy and the occasional grim here and there. But fighting off those thugs, was my first time using my huntress skills to fight the forces of evil. And it felt awesome! No amount of scolding from this really intimidating blonde lady can change my mind on that. But I'm not saying that out loud anytime soon, for obvious reasons.

"Young lady," She started as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I had a talk with the store's owner and he gave me a well enough description of what happened."

She let out a sigh before opening her eyes once more and started to click on the tablet-like device that she had been carrying on her left. She then proceeded to face the device to me. A moment later an image of the store owner's face popped up on the screen.

**"Well, I don't know what to tell you, ma'am." **The man said as he visibly looked uncomfortable sitting in his chair. Probably because he had been subjected to this woman's strict gaze just like I had.

**"Well, how about you start at the beginning?" **The blonde huntress's voice sounded off from somewhere the screen wasn't facing. **"We'd like to gather as much information on what happened."** The man rubbed his neck a bit and scrunched up his face in concentration before answering.

**"Well okay. It was somewhere around four-thirty in the morning, I think? That was when that gigantic man came into the store. At first, I was scared out of my wits**** thinking he'd do something awful. He just looked so...imposing." **The man sheepishly rubbed his neck again and continued on with a slightly embarrassed tone. **"But, as it turns out that wasn't the case. He was just in need of a map. He said that he had lost his way and needed directions. Probably not from around here if he got lost in Vale." **

**"I see. And after that?" **The blonde huntress urged off-screen.

**"Well, I left him at the counter to go get the map that he needed.**** It took me a while to find it and once I did I quickly made my way back. And that's when I saw them. The enormous man was standing off against the infamous criminal Roman Torchwick along with a gang of thugs. Though, I did notice something off." **The man brought his hand up to his chin and nodded his head slowly before continuing. **"For one thing, Roman and his gang were scared. Well, the former was slightly composed, only a bit of fear showing on his face. But his gang of thugs was visibly shaking, like a bunch of kids looking at a Grim for the very first time."**

I still remember seeing a grim for the very first time. I was still too young to remember the exact details but what I do remember was that utterly horrifying feeling inside. That was the first time I felt actual fear. Thanks to the years of huntsman training and hard-work my fear lessened more and more.

But what I felt at that time was nothing compared to what I felt in the store. It was so sudden that I dropped the weapon's magazine that I had been reading and quickly tore off my headset. I found it hard to move my feet. It was like a great weight was put on me. I found it hard to move, and even harder to breathe. Eventually, I was able to turn around. And there, I saw him. A humongous of a man wearing in what seemed to look like a combat uniform. His face was etched in what I could only describe as super-duper pissed. And looking at him only made that feeling grow even stronger. It made me want to curl up into a ball and cry until I passed out. That's just how scary he was.

**"I know it sounds unbelievable ma'am. I wouldn't believe it either, in fact, I'm still finding it hard to believe honestly. But this is different. I was there. I felt it too." **The man crossed his arms over his chest as he slowly shook his head. **"In all my years, I've never felt something like...that. His back was to me but I could just feel it. The rage. His rage. It was all pointed at Torchwick and his gang. Just feeling it from afar nearly made me pass out. I can hardly imagine what it was like to be on the direct receiving end of it."**

_"That makes two of us sir." _I mentally added.

**"He tried to tell me something but before he could finish, Torchwick cut him off by raising his cane towards his face. I thought he was done for but then he...attacked? I don't know for sure what he did, but what I do know for sure is that in the blink of an eye, Torchwick and his gang were sent flying. ****The latter were scattered all over the store while the former disappeared outside along with the giant man."**

Yup. That's pretty much how everything went down. It all happened so fast. It was like a blur, a literal blur of activity. One second Torchwick and the other thugs were standing, the next they were all pretty much beaten. That was the first time I ever saw someone move so fast. He's faster than dad than uncle Qrow, and probably even Yang. Heck, he even out-sped me when I used my semblance.

**"I..see." **The blonde huntress's voice sounded off once more. **"Thank you for your time and effort in helping us, sir. We'll cover the charges of the damage done to your property."**

**"I'm glad I could help. And thank you." **The man answered with a smile before the video ended.

She then proceeded to shut off the device before addressing me again.

"As you've heard, this...man, already had matters at hand, so there was no need for you to intervene. And if the store owner's words are to be believed, then said the man could have single-handedly taken care of Torchwick and his goons even without your supposed 'help'." The blonde huntress explained.

While her words rang true, I still had that uneasy feeling. And it's all kinda due to that Huntsman. Or more precisely, what said Huntsman was about to do.

_"If I didn't get in the way, that man would've killed Torchwick." _I thought morbidly as I started to stare off into the distance.

It's not uncommon for huntsmen or huntresses to lose their cool in battle. This is especially true considering Yang's temper. Even dad and uncle Qrow would snap from time to time. But with that man, it was different. He didn't snap nor did he throw a temper tantrum. He just up and decided to kill somebody. Sure, this Torchwick guy sounds pretty bad but he didn't deserve to be killed right there and then on the spot.

_"And he was just about to do it too. How could he just do that? How could anyone, let alone a huntsman, be so calm as they're about to take another living person's life. Huntsmen are supposed to be the protectors of this world and the guardians of its people. All the people. So doesn't that include criminals like Torchwick too?"_

"Are you listening to me?" The blonde huntress asked as she waved her hand around in front of me.

Only then did I realize that I had been spacing out while staring blankly at the blonde huntress. She no doubt was telling me something, but with my mind being occupied with thoughts about that man I must have completely blocked out everything that she had said.

"Ahehe, well.." I embarrassedly started off."..sorry about that, I was..zoning out for a bit there. W-what was it you said?"

The blond huntress sighed and readjusted her glasses before answering.

"I said, that if it were up to me I'd send you home right now. With a simple pat on the back.."

I beamed up considerably at that. Finally! I'd finally be able to get out of this place and go home. I guess she's not so mean after all.

"..and a slap on the wrist." She continued quickly before whipping her riding crop on the silver table. The action making me squeak and recoil back in surprise.

There goes my earlier statement on her not being so mean.

"But, there's someone here that would like to meet you." The blonde huntress said as she stepped aside.

The moment that she had stepped aside from the rooms entrance a man came walking in. A man of fair complexion with silver hair and brown eyes though weirdly he also had brown eyebrows for some reason. His attire consisted of a green suite coupled with black trousers and a green scarf with some sort of cross pendant on it. And he's also carrying a white mug with the insignia of Beacon in the middle. Now, normally that would be enough to catch my attention. But what he was carrying on his other hand had me more interested. It was a plate of the same color as that of the mug. And it had a bunch of cookies on it. Tasty and scrumptious looking cookies.

But before I could say anything the silver-haired man with the mismatched eyebrows spoke up.

"Ruby Rose." He said as he walked up to me. And before I could get a word out he leaned down and gazed at me.

"You.." He started off while I began to feel pretty uncomfortable from the man's intense look. "..have silver eyes."

Now how exactly do you respond to something as random as that?

"U-Uhm.." Was all I could afford to say.

Thankfully though, the man was quick to move on to other matters. He quickly stood back up-right and addressed me once again.

"So, where did you learn to do this?" The silver-haired man questioned as he gestured towards the video being played on the blonde huntress' digital clipboard.

It was a video of me when I fought Torchwick's cronies. And if I was being honest with myself, I looked kinda awesome kicking bad-guy butt. But the way these two were looking at me kinda made me feel like I did something wrong.

"S-Signal Academy?" I managed to say. Though I did mentally hit myself on the head for stuttering.

"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" The silver-haired man asked.

"Well, one teacher in particular." I quickly answered back.

Yup. Thanks to uncle Qrow, I was able to learn how to properly and efficiently use my darling Crescent Rose.

"I see." The silver-haired man said as he placed the plate of cookies in front of me.

Dad always warned me to be wary of strangers and the things that they'd offer because bad stuff tends to happen like that. But knowing who this man is and seeing as the blonde huntress seems to explicitly trust him, I take a leap of faith and slowly pick up a cookie and hesitantly put in my mouth.

And immediately all thoughts of hesitation are quickly dashed aside when the tasty treat graced my taste buds. After chewing the first cookie, I grab another, and another and another until practically all the cookies are stuffed in my mouth minus the one still in my hand.

"It's just that I've only ever seen one other scythe wielder of that skill before. A dusty old crow." The silver-haired man remarked as he stared up to the ceiling.

Knowing full well who the man was referring to I opened my mouth to answer. Though my voice sounded a bit off because of the cookies I'm still chewing.

"Hmm, that's my uncle..." I muffled out and coughed as I ate and chewed the last cookie.

The man simply looked at me and waited as I quickly swallowed the now thoroughly chewed cookies.

"Sorry," I quickly apologize after wiping my mouth using my sleeve. "I said that's my uncle Qrow. He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing." I explained as the man took a sip from his mug.

"And now, I'm all like huuuu-watah-haaoo," I say as I punctuate each word with different forms that I'd use whenever using Crescent Rose.

"So I've noticed." The man said as he put his mug down on the silver table and leaned forward. "Tell me, what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?" He asked as he sat down on the chair opposite me.

Wasting no time at all, I come up with a reply.

"Well, I want to be a huntress," I said as I looked at the silver-haired man dead in the eye.

"You want to slay monsters?" He inquired.

"Yeah," I started off with a nod before continuing. "I only have two more years of training left at Signal and then I'm going to apply to Beacon." I then proceed to use my hands as emphasis before continuing in a gradually speeding pace. "See, my sister is starting there this year and 'she's' trying to become a huntress. And 'I'm' trying to become a huntress cuz I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help others so I thought "Meh, might as well make a career out of it." Hehe, the police are alright but Huntsman and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting, cool and just akchja! You know!?"

The blonde huntress furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at me like I had gone wild. Well, she wouldn't be wrong. I did kinda lose my cool back there. The silver-haired man on the other hand simply kept a poker face before once again addressing me a second later.

"Do you know who I am?"

Of course, I did. Anyone and everyone back in Patch knows who this man is. I may be socially awkward at times but that doesn't mean I'm not informative.

"You're professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon." I replied.

"Hm." Professor Ozpin gave out a short breathless laugh before continuing with a smile. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you," I replied enthusiastically with a polite nod and smile of my own.

"So you want to come to my school?" He asked with an air of seriousness as he leaned forwards.

"More than anything," I reply with as much seriousness as I could muster.

Seemingly pleased with my answer, Ozpin's smile returned as he faced towards the blonde huntress, who had been standing beside him with her arms crossed under her chest, and looked at her. She met his eyes and held contact. A second later she looked away and rolled her eyes as she let out a soft grunt.

Ozpin then faced me once again with a smile before addressing me.

"Well, okay."

I didn't fully understand what he meant by that but for some reason, I was compelled to smile. But that smile slowly disappeared when the face of another huntsman came into my mind. Seeing as the professor of Beacon Academy himself is here, along with the same Huntress that took them in, I thought that now would be a good time as any to ask.

"Uhm, if you don't me asking, what's going to happen to that huntsman?"

"Hm?" The Headmaster looked lost for a moment before his face lit up in realization. "Oh, I suppose you're talking about the man that had fought with Torchwick, yes?"

I nodded my head in confirmation.

"Well worry not, young lady. I can assure you that he is fine. He's currently in another room. I and miss Glynda here will have a talk with him, I just thought that it'd be best if we started with you first." The headmaster explained.

Ah. That kinda makes sense, I guess. But another question was bugging me though. And I'm just itching to find out the answer.

"Is he a Huntsman from Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin?" I asked the Headmaster.

The blonde woman, who I now know as miss Glynda, was about to answer when Ozpin cut her off and answered for her.

"Yes. Yes, he is."

Miss Glynda looked at Ozpin like he had gone insane but I didn't pay this much mind though.

"Ooohhhh. So no wonder why he's so strong. If he's from the best huntsman academy in all of Remnant, then it makes sense." I nodded my head in understanding as I bumped my fist down on my palm.

The Headmaster chuckled mysteriously as miss Glynda subtly shook her head and mouthed something under her breath.

"Well, I believe that is all for now. Thank you for your time, Miss Rose. The flight to Beacon leaves in two hours from now. I believe your sister is already there." The Headmaster said as he got up from his chair and collected the mug and plate that he had brought with him.

"See you at school miss Rose." He said as he and miss Glynda made their way out of the room.

As they left my field of vision, a strange thought made it's way up my mind as I was about to make my leave.

"Wait a sec," I said out loud as I stared at the exit of the room with wide eyes. "did he just say what I think he said?"

Only silence answered me as a bad feeling started to take form in my gut.

**(Author's POV)**

Glynda and Ozpin were currently making their way towards the room where Tobias was being held. But as they neared the entryway of the room, Glynda quickly stood in front of Ozpin, making him stop in his tracks, and placed her hands on her hips as she purposefully stared hard at the silver-haired headmaster.

Ozpin, to his credit, already knew he'd get this kind of backlash from Glynda, and thus had already formulated a well enough explanation.

But that wouldn't really stop Glynda from scolding him.

"What are you up to Ozpin?" Glynda asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Whatever do you mean Glynda?" He retorted.

"Don't play games, Ozpin. You know what I'm talking about." Glynda replied as she gestured her head towards the Tobias' room.

Knowing that further increasing Glynda's ire would spell only trouble for him, Ozpin relented with a small sigh.

"All right, all right. At ease Glynda." Ozpin said as he gestured for Glynda to calm down.

Glynda did just that. Her narrow glare diminished somewhat and though she still had her hands on her hip she relaxed her stance.

Ozpin knew he could easily ban her from asking what his plans were for Tobias. He is her superior in more ways than one, and if he were a lesser man, he'd threaten her position if she so much as questions him again. But he was not like that. Not like the monster he continues to wage war with. And he had already been keeping one too many secrets from not just her, but everyone he knew and everyone that knew of him. And besides, out of everyone else, he could always count on Glynda to keep a secret.

Ozpin looked around for any eavesdroppers. Once he was satisfied there were none, he focused back on Glynda and addressed her.

"You're wondering what I'm planning to do with this man, correct?"

"Yes." Was her short answer and serious answer.

"I'm going to offer this man work at Beacon," Ozpin said nonchalantly as he stared directly at Glynda's now wide eyes.

For a few seconds, Glynda said and did nothing. She just stood there with widened eyes and mouth slightly agape. Ozpin took this chance to wonder what exactly her answer to his plans would be. Would she be outraged or would she see reason and consider the merits of such an endeavor.

"Ozpin," Glynda eventually said as she shook her head. "in all the years I've known you, this has got to be your craziest idea as of yet."

"He has the potential to become a powerful ally for us Glynda."

"And he has just as much potential to become a powerful enemy." Glynda quickly countered and explained. "Ozpin, this man went head to head with Roman Torchwick, the very same criminal that bested even our most elite Huntsmen and Huntresses, and this man beat him with his bare fists."

"He is hardly the first-ever person to use their fists in battle." Ozpin tried to reason. But at the back of his mind, he knew this was a very weak excuse.

Many were sent to apprehend Torchwick, many did not return. And just like Glynda said, even Beacon's own best and brightest fell to the devious criminal. But this man, he did what hundreds before him could not. And if the footage of that battle is anything to go by then this man could have easily done so much more. Thankfully, the arrival of a certain rose helped calm things down before the situation could escalate any further.

"Oh, don't give me that. You saw the footage, Ozpin. This man completely obliterated Torchwick's aura and nearly killed him in the time it takes a person to blink. Are you really sure it's wise to let someone like that into our ranks?" Glynda warned.

"And are you sure it's wise to let someone like that be on the enemy's ranks instead?" Ozpin quickly retorted, making Glynda immediately clamp her mouth shut.

While a gifted and powerful huntress at her own right, Glynda knew she'd be more than hard-pressed to defeat the man in question. And while very reluctant to admit it, she just knew deep down, that if a man of that caliber were to join forces with the enemy, the body count would reach the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. And she also had a sinking feeling that she'd be counted amongst the fallen.

"I-I see." Glynda audibly swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat and readjusted her glasses as she hastily moved to stand beside Ozpin once more.

"So then? Shall we proceed?" Glynda said as she gestured for Ozpin to enter first.

Ozpin didn't mind this of course. Certainly not with the way she was subtly shaking. He didn't want to do this to her, but she needed to know just how severe it is to have this man on their side.

"Besides," Ozpin started off with a faint smile. "if I recall correctly, this man also saved your life. Maybe he isn't as dangerous as he seems."

"Maybe." Was all she replied.

And so, with their minds and wills resolved. They made their way towards the entrance of the interrogation room. Hoping with all hope that this man would join them. Because if not, then blood would surely be spilled. Oceans of blood.

**Location: In another interrogation room inside Vale's Police Department.**

**Date: July 1st**

**Time: 5:40 AM (Just before Ozpin and Glynda come in)**

**(Tobias' POV)**

One hour, thirty-nine minutes, and 23 seconds. And counting. That's how much time had passed since I was put inside this room. After a quick scan upon entry, I was able to deduce that this is an interrogation room of some kind. The room was thankfully high enough so I didn't have to constantly duck my head, it also had a single light bulb hanging in the middle of the room, giving off just enough light to give focus on the room's midpoint. At said midpoint was a silver table with two chairs placed on opposite sides. But what really sealed the deal was the one-way mirror on the side of the room. Earlier, I had placed the tip of my fingers on it and noticed that there was no gap between my actual fingernails and the image of my nails on the mirror. This discovery led me to conclude that this room that they had put me in is indeed, an integration room.

And in my experience, once you're inside an interrogation room, you're not leaving until either you or the other people get some answers.

_"At the very least, it is convenient. I really need some answers right about now."_

And that's why for the whole duration of my stay here, I've been gazing at the one-way mirror, with my arms crossed over my chest, hoping that whoever or whatever would pick up the pace and enter already. My mind had already calmed down from the non-stop craziness that had occurred earlier. And thanks to that, l was able to look back at all my findings and came up with a number of thoughts and ideas to help make sense of everything. Though, there was one idea that kept on sticking in my head no matter how much I try to throw it aside. It was just too unbelievable. Too unreal. Too insane.

But before I could continue to further dissuade the crazy thought once more, the interrogation room's entrance opened and two figures made their way inside. One I recognized as the blonde woman that had some sort of...magical superpower. The other person with her, a silver-haired man with glasses wearing a dark green suit with black trousers. Though oddly his eyebrows did not match his hair for some reason.

"Hello there." The silver-haired man addressed me with a smile as he walked towards one of the seats while the blonde woman continued to watch me with rapt attention.

The moment the silver-haired man was seated, the blonde woman broke off from her intense gazing and made her way to stand beside him. Once she was there however, she again continued her intense staring.

Normally I wouldn't mind such a trivial thing. I've been stared at by countless people, countless times, for countless reasons, so one more wouldn't normally be a problem. But considering 'who' was doing it coupled with how tight shes gripping her crop, I couldn't help but become wary of her. No matter how much it sickened me.

"Id like to have a word with you, sir." The silver-haired man said as he gestured with his hand for me to take the seat opposite him.

Although reluctant, I eventually uncrossed my arms and slowly made my way towards the gestured chair and not once did I break eye contact with the blonde woman.

The man seemed to have picked up on the growing tension and decided to quickly defuse the situation by moving on to matters at hand.

"Well, its pleasure to meet you, sir. My name is Ozpin, and this here," He gestured to the blonde woman. "is my second in command, miss Glynda Goodwitch."

Seeing it as an opportunity to help lessen to ever-growing tension in the room, I decided to follow up on the man's courtesy.

"The pleasure is all mine." I merely give a slight nod towards the silver-haired man who I now know as Ozpin before looking at the blonde woman named Glynda and give her a quick bow.

"Ma'am," I said, carefully making sure to keep my voice even and non-threatening before finally taking my seat on the silver chair.

"Hello." She replied. Though her voice sounded a little strained, I was relieved to see her subtly relaxing her posture and lessen her iron grip on her riding crop.

"Now then, with the pleasantries out of the way, I'd like to get down to business," Ozpin said as he put his hands together. An air of seriousness now hanging off him.

"I'll be blunt sir." He continued. "Who are you?"

_"Hm. Straight forward. Good." _I thought.

Normally other people in my profession would be very reluctant to answer such questions, I had absolutely no problem with it. I have nothing of importance tied to my name thus making it quite useless to try and sabotage it. And all of my enemies that tried to do just that, are all either cowering in the shadows like the scum they are or simply dead. Though I'm quite certain that the latter exceeds the former.

"My name is Tobias. Full name, Tobias Ispolinsikiy Bonifacio. And if you are wondering, my middle name is spelled as i-s-p-o-l-i-n-s-i-k-i-y and my last name is b-o-n-i-f-a-c-i-o."

The blonde woman, Glynda, grabbed a tablet of sorts and pressed on it a number of times.

"Anything?" Ozpin asked with a sideward glance after a minute had passed with Glynda using the device.

"No. Nothing." She eventually said with a sigh. "I widened the search scope and included, Mistral, Atlas, and Vacuo but still nothing came up. It's like he doesn't exist." She said that last part while staring hard at me.

"How peculiar," Ozpin said as he started to tap his fingers together. "Tell me, Mr... Bonifacio, where exactly did you come from?"

This was it. This was the moment of truth. I had speculated and theorized over and over again in my head with each try becoming harder and harder to contemplate and accept. And now, this was my chance to finally set matters straight.

_"I just hope that the truth will not jar my sanity too much." _I thought as I mentally prepared for the possibility.

"Before I answer your question, would you mind if I ask you two something first?" I asked.

Ozpin and Glynda were visibly surprised by my request. But neither of them moved to deny it.

"Of course." Ozpin permitted with a nod.

"I am going to cite a number of things and I want you to tell me what you think of them."

The two seemed confused but like before they merely kept quiet and waited for me to begin.

"United States of America, c-i-a, n-s-a, d-i-a, f-b-i, Interpol, s-i-s, m-i five, m-i six." I listed off.

My purpose for doing so was to gauge a reaction, a reaction of familiarity from the two. I wanted to confirm, no I needed to confirm the idea that had taken form in my head was nothing but nonsense.

"Glynda?" Ozpin asked as he turned to face the woman in question.

Glynda once again hastily brought up the tablet-like device and began to press on it. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. A minute passed, and then another, and another. Until eventually, with an irritated tsk she lowered the device and shook her head as she addressed Ozpin.

"Nothing came up." Once the words left her her mouth she looked back to me again. Though this time, instead of the cold and hard glare from before, confusion and curiosity graced her features.

"I see," Ozpin slowly started as he turned back to me. ", what exactly did you mean by those words, Mr. Bonifacio?"

Years of having faced so many people I've gained the skill to tell if one were to lie. Its thanks to this ability that I've survived for so long. I know that there is always a little tidbit that shows when a person lies. It can be a slight twitch in your lips, eyes, and eyebrows. It can also be the constricted sound of your voice. It can be almost be anything just so long as you know where and how to look. And right here right now, I could tell that the two were genuinely clueless to what I had just listed off. And it made my stomach drop upon realization.

_"Holy fucking crap, they really do not know." _I thought with a heavy heart.

"One last question, please," I asked, my voice surprisingly strained. Well, honestly a very surreal and daunting fact was quickly dawning on me so it's pretty understandable.

"What is.." I stop to swallow the lump in my throat before continuing. " ..what is the name of this world?"

Glynda and Ozpin briefly looked to one another before the former looked back to me and answered.

"Remnant," He answered with a raised brow. ", this world is named Remnant."

And there it was. The truth laid bare for me to acknowledge. The unbelievable truth that I had tried so many times to dismiss.

"Susmaryosep, Vsemogushchiy Bog." I rasp out as I press my now tightly clenched fist to my face.

"Mr. Bonifacio?" Ozpin asked, probably worried about my sudden change in mood. "Are you all right?"

For a few seconds, I said nothing as I slowly recovered from the shock.

"Ozpin, I am going, to be frank with you." I eventually said.

I didn't know how they would take what I was about to say to them. But now that I've accepted the reality of my predicament, I decided to no longer beat around the bush and get straight to the point.

"You may not believe this, heck, I do not either," I said. My eyes, hard as steel and my voice filled with utter seriousness. ", but I am not from this world."

And just like I thought, their reactions varied. Ozpin widened his eyes before returning their normal state seconds after. I could tell that he was mentally contemplating what I had just said, and no doubt was taking his time to decide whether or not I was telling the truth. But miss Glynda, on the other hand, seemed to have already reached her own conclusion. With the way she was looking at me as if I was some sort of deranged lunatic was any indication, then I'm sure I can hazard a guess as to what conclusion she came to.

"I see." Ozpin eventually said. Though oddly enough I noticed a sudden change in the man's demeanor. Before, he had the presence of a businessman. Now, however, a sudden intensity surrounded him. Making me feel as though instead of a man, I'm facing what I can only describe as a powerful force.

"You claim to be from another world." He said as he continued to look up at me nonblinking. "Can you prove that claim?"

"Ozpin!" Glynda exclaimed. "You can't be serious. Another world? That's just impossible." She added that last part towards me.

Ozpin never in the slightest broke eye contact with me as he replied to Glynda.

"You should know better than anyone Glynda, that even the impossible has some measure of truth in it."

Whatever Ozpin meant by that clearly encrypted message, it was enough for miss Goodwitch. She nodded solemnly and stood back in attention beside the man.

"Now then Mr. Bonifacio," He started. ", if you truly are from another world, then would you care to explain where exactly is it that you came from and how did you end up here, in our world."

I had no idea what to make of these people. Were they good, or were they bad? I had no way of knowing for sure, but what I was sure of is that if I really am in a whole new world, then I need to know everything there is to know about it. And these two were to be my first learning guides. Regardless of whether they're evil or not, it matters little in the long run. As long as I learn what I need to learn, then I will see where this will take me. But I do pray that I don't have to fight this miss Goodwitch and considering her powers, I'll be left with no other choice but use shift three. And I really don't want to use that against a woman of all things.

"That is going to be quite a long story." I started. "Do you want to hear everything in detail or would rather want me to skim a few things?"

"No, I want to hear everything." He immediately replied. "And I mean, 'everything'." He added that last part with furrowed brows.

Whatever this world is and whatever it has in store for me, I'll face it all head-on. I've been enduring and surpassing many unbelievable things. Things that any other human being would falter at. So how hard can it be to survive in a world I know next to nothing of?

**Location: Within the ship headed to Beacon**

**Date: July 1st**

**Time: 7:40 AM**

**(Ruby's POV)**

_"How in the world did it come to this?"_ I thought as a barrage of emotions swirled in me. Fear, anxiousness, excitement and a tiny bit of pride kept on coming and coming so much so many times, that I felt pretty overwhelmed by it all.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to beacon with me!" Yang exclaimed happily as she enveloped me in a very tight hug. "This is the best day ever!"

"Pleash shtop." I meekly let out, though it kinda sounded a bit off due to Yang hugging me so tight.

Thankfully, this state of suffocation came to an end when Yang let go and giddily jumped up and down in front of me.

"But I'm so proud of you~!"

"Really sis, it was nothing," I said. I really didn't want to be the center of attention right now. And seeing the number of people on board only furthered that notion.

"What do you mean? It was incredible!" She said as she gestured with her hands to further her point. "Everyone in Beacon is gonna think your the bee's knees."

"I-I don't wanna be the bee's knees okay? I don't wanna be any kind of knees. I just wanna be a normal girl with normal knees." I really didn't mean to rant out like that but ever since I stepped foot on this ship the pressure had been keeping me on the edge. And though Yang was probably doing this to cheer me up, her praising only served to add more pressure.

"What's with you?" Yang asked, likely worried about the way I was acting. "Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited." Any huntsman or huntress in training would be excited with a chance like this. I mean, this is Beacon were talking about here. "I just," But in my case, it's kinda different. ", I got moved ahead two years, I don't want other people to think I'm special or anything."

At this, Yang moved to stand beside me and gave a half hug.

"But you are special." She said.

I didn't feel particularly special. Honestly speaking, I find myself to be pretty average. But I knew what she was going for and I appreciated it. No matter how much it made my stomach lightly drop.

I was about to say something when the holo-screens flickered to life and the familiar visage of Lisa Lavender, Vale's most famous and renowned news anchor, came up on the screen.

"Last night, a skirmish involving the infamous criminal mastermind Roman Torchwick occurred within the city of Vale. Sources say that the criminal was planning on robbing a store, but was ultimately thwarted by a huntsman. We had our filed reporter, Serom, interview eyewitnesses of the incident. Take it away, Serom."

The holo-screen then changed from Lisa to a man wearing a black fancy looking suit. That must be the one Lisa called Serom.

"Thank you, Lisa," Serom said with a nod to the camera before continuing. ", from what we've been able to gather, it seems that before the time of the incident there were already a handful of people milling about near the area. But once they saw the criminal, Roman Torchwick, they immediately vacated. However, there were a scant few that stood by. Those few being a group of friends that had decided to stick by and watch the events unfold. When we interviewed them earlier, they had this to say."

The holo-screen changed once more to show a group of teenagers all wearing civilian clothing. There were three guys and two girls in total, the guys being lined up behind the two girls standing side by side of the front. They all looked kinda older than me, probably as old as Yang.

**"So, you said you five were there at the time Torchwick entered the shop." **The voice of Serom sounded off-screen. **"Did anyone of you by any chance see what happened?"**

The group of friends whispered to one another. They looked like they were discussing which one of them should answer. Eventually, they came to a decision and the girl on the left spoke up.

**"Well, sir there's not really much to say about what we saw. " **She started off with a nod from her companions. **"When we saw Torchwick go into the store, we hid behind a nearby wall. We were about to call the cops when Torchwick came flying through the door! I mean he just flew! Well, he didn't really fly of course but you get the point, sir." **Just as she finished, the girl on the right picked up where she left off. **"Yeah, we got pretty spooked by that. But at the same time, we were stoked too! I**** mean come on, who wouldn't be? This is Roman Torchwick for the god's sake, this is the dude that threw down with a ton of huntsmen and walked away in one piece, and to see that same dude being thrown away like that was fawesome!"**

**"But the real kicker was when that gigantic man came out of the store." **The guy in the middle continued with a light laugh. **"You see, sir. While these guys," **He gestured to his companions. **", were busy gawking at Torchwick's fallen form, I looked back towards the entrance and was taken back by what I saw. I know for sure it was man cuz he definitely looked liked a man. But he just looked so...****big and tall. Heck, he was so tall that had to crouch down low as he made his way outside and when he stood back up to his full height he looked like he could tower over anyone. These two even squawked when they laid their eyes on him." **He let out a boisterous laugh as he patted the two girls in front of him who looked appalled by what he had just said.

**"Jokes aside, he's right." **The guy on the left continued. **That man did kind of give off a bestial feel, and to top it all off he was tall as [muted].**** If I had to guess his height, I think it'd be somewhere between eight to nine feet tall." **And then the last member of their group, the guy on the right continued excitedly. **"Oh, he was a beast all right! With the way he took down Torchwick, I'd say he deserves that title. We've seen how fast huntsman can move but that guy was even faster! It looked like he just flashed from where he was standing all the way towards Torchwick. Torchwick even fired off a few blasts but they all ended up missing. And then boom, before we knew it, Torchwick was sent flying again!"**

Just as I thought the video would continue, the face of Serom graced the holo-screen once more.

"Unfortunately after this point, the group delved into hysterics and proceeded to spend the next hour and a half raving about the cock-and-bull story. To save time, we had to cut the footage, though fortunately, we were able to pick out the important bits. We know for a fact that whoever or whatever stopped the nefarious Roman Torchwick, they were tremendously powerful and possessed enough skill and ability to actually beat Torchwick. And, if the words of our witnesses are to be believed, the mystery man actually brought the criminal near death before the said criminal eventually managed to flee. If any of you have any whereabouts of the criminal, be sure to contact the Vale police department. That's all from me for now, back to you Lisa."

"Thank you, Serom." Lisa Lavender said with a nod after she had taken Serom's place on the holo-screen. "In other news, this Saturday's Faunus civil rights protest turned dark when members of the white fang-"

"Hey, Ruby," Yang said as she nudged me, diverting my attention from the holo-screen to her. ", you were there last night. Did you get an up-close look at the 'mystery-man'?"

"Well..." I tried my best to remember what little detail I could but every time I did, the face of the man would come up instantly. Honestly, that man frightened me. And it's not just because of how powerful he was. It was that look on his face when he fought Torchwick that really got to me. It was just so scary. Really, really scary, as in worse than Yang on a bad hair day levels of scary.

"Uhhh..hello?" Yang said as she waved her hand in front of my face. "Remnant to Ruby? You doin' all right there sis?"

"Oh! S-Sorry Yang." I stutter out, embarrassed. I had no idea how long I was spacing out. And that just made it ten times worse! "I was..just thinking really hard about some stuff."

"Well, you better put it on hold for now." She pointed towards where the holo-screen was. Only this time though, the holo-screen was replaced by a human-sized holographic image of the blonde huntress I met earlier this morning. I think her name was...Uhm...

"Hello and welcome to Beacon." The holographic form addressed the entirety of everyone on board.

"I wonder who that is," Yang said, mirroring my own dilemma.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." The hologram, who I now remember as miss Glynda Goodwitch, continued, making me nod in remembrance as Yang let out a quick "Oh". "You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task. And now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

The hologram started to fade out of existence and once it fully disappeared I was able to see the view of the outside.

"Oh wow!" I remarked excitedly and made my way towards one of the ships many windows.

And the view before me was nothing less than awesomely breathtaking. As I pressed my hands on the glass, I take the time to gaze left and right, completely taking in every little detail. I had never been this high up in an airship before, so seeing everything from this vantage point really brought out the amazingness of...well, everything. The specks of people I could see walking about, the silhouette of the buildings, the lush trees of the forests beyond the city's borders and even...

"Look, you can even see Signal from up here," I remarked excitedly once more as Yang opted to stand beside me, also enjoying the scenery. Though, my excitement didn't last long.

"I guess home isn't too far after all," I said out loud with a touch of sadness now present within my voice. And judging by the way Yang was half hugging me again, she probably noticed.

"Beacon's our home now," Yang said as she gave me a firm nudge even as she continued to hug me consolingly.

"Argh..." Someone moaned out. It sounded like whoever this was, they were in pain. I and Yang turned our heads to the direction of the moaning and there, we found the originator of the noise. It belonged to a blonde scraggly looking guy who at the moment, appeared to be trying his best not to unload the contents of his stomach.

Once the guy couldn't hold it in anymore, he quickly dashed past me and Yang, making grunting noises all the way.

"Well, I guess the view's not for everyone." Yang joked with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

"It was a nice moment while it lasted," I replied with a slight shrug of my own.

"I wonder who we're gonna meet?" Yang asked as the silhouette of Beacon Academy reached my field of vision.

I wondered that too. But I also wondered about another thing.

"Urgh, I just hope that they're better than vomit boy," I replied. I didn't want to mean, but I disliked vomit, more.

And speaking of vomit. Was that what I think it was, smudging Yang's shoes?

"Oh, Yang, gross!" I exclaimed both mortified and disgusted when I figured out that it was indeed a bit of vomit smudged on Yang's shoe. "You've got puke on your shoe!"

"Gross! Gross! Gross! Gross! Gross!" Yang chanted and continued to chant even as she scrambled to find a means to be rid of the puke.

Unfortunately, during her scrambling, she came just a bit too close for comfort.

"Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!" I let out a chant of my own as I quickly tried my best to dodge Yang and her puke infected shoe.

And as Beacon got closer and closer. Another nagging thought found its way at the top of my head. Though I tried to reason that it was unlikely, I just couldn't just seem to shake it off for some reason.

_"I wonder if that man will be there."_

* * *

**CHAPTER END...**

**A/N: Welp, not much left to say here folks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and do tell me what you guys think of it. All forms of criticism are duly noted and highly appreciated.**

**Next Chapter guestimate: April or so.**


	4. Chapter 4: An eventful welcome

**A/N: ****Greetings everyone, here's chapter four.**

**But first. I need to address a concern that my little sis pointed out to me. In chapter two, Torchwick was defeated in an instant and apparently, that didn't really sit right with her. She argued that Torchwick wouldn't have lost so easily considering in the CANON series he fought off the likes of Blake, Sun, and Ruby with ease and would have won too if not for a series of unfortunate events, cough *plot armor* cough. And so, she asked if I had purposely nerfed Torchwick on the account of my MC, Tobias. But in all honesty, that's not it at all.**

**You see, I did not nerf any of the characters from the RWBY series. All the RWBY characters in this story of mine are just as strong as they are in CANON, or at least, I'm trying my best to make it seem that way.**

**Now, keep in mind that Torchwick is 'strong', there's no doubt about that. Given by the facts he can more than hold his own against professional huntsmen, evade the authorities for such a long time and even hustle Junior, who more or less is like a mob boss. Furthermore, you don't just become an infamous criminal if you don't have the strength to back up that title. Which begs the question: "If Torchwick is all that, then how did Tobias beat him so easily?"**

**The answer to that question is simple. It's because Tobias is powerful enough to do so. I know that sounds really vague and outright unbelievable but trust me, I've got a plan to better explain the fundamentals of Tobias' power and I'm going to leave tidbits of it here and there, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled.**

**But, if you want a short rundown of Tobias' power level, here's this little comparison to go on.**

**In terms of raw skill and power, Tobias is on par with the likes of Yuichiro Hanma and Yuijiro Hanma. ****To those of you that know what I'm talking about, yes, I mean it and no, I am not joking around. For those who don't know, just search up the names of the two characters I mentioned and read their wiki.**

**How in the f-ing way is**** that even possible, you may ask? Well, that's for me to already know and for you guys to wait and find out. Tehehe.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY and honestly I never will lol, also all other references that you'll see belong to their rightful owners. I am by no means a plagiarist, I am merely getting inspiration from them.**

**The events, characters, and firms depicted in this story are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual firms, is purely coincidental.**

* * *

**Location: ****A few levels underground.**

**Date: July 1st**

**Time: 8:15 AM**

**(Roman's POV)**

Ever since I first started out in the cold and unforgiving underbelly known as the criminal world, I've been forced to face and stomach a lot of shit. Most of those almost even took my life, but hey, no one ever said that the life of a criminal was gonna be easy. Well, maybe it is for the ruling families in the High Order but that's a whole different discussion entirely. Point is, I'm not just some two-bit pushover whose way in over his head. I'm Roman Torchwick, I'm the man that started my own criminal empire from the ground up, I'm the man that sent my fair share of powerful people six feet under, I'm the man that has lied, cheated, stolen and survived through every blunder life has thrown at me.

And, I've had plenty of close calls before, regrettably so. In my line of work that's a rather recurring theme. But never, and I mean never, have I been so close to death's door as I was this morning.

"You know, this isn't going to look good for your reputation, Roman." Dr. Halsey, the High Order's personal doctor said as she tapped into her tablet.

_"Tell me something I don't know." _I thought angrily as I glared at her. Or at least tried to, with my face mostly covered in bandages coupled with the halo brace nearly taking up the entirety of my head, it made it really harder than necessary.

"You should focus more on revitalizing your aura reserves rather than wasting your energy trying to act tough, which by the way, you are failing phenomenally." She said as she stopped pressing on her tablet scroll and locked eyes with me, her free hand on her hip.

_"What else do you think I've been doing for the past three hours? Jerking off under my bedsheets?" _I thought as I eased my head down on the soft pillow of the bed they had prepared for me, all the while I continued to replace the tremendous amount of aura that I had lost.

Aura. A tool I've always been grateful to have. If it weren't for this, I would never have reached the heights that I've reached today. And more importantly, if I didn't have this, then I wouldn't even be here right now.

"You know Roman, I've been working as the head doctor of the High Order for a very long time now, and in all my years here, you have never even once asked for medical aid before." She held her cold calculating gaze towards me as she continued. "At first, I thought it was stupid beyond comprehension, letting your pride come first before your own health. But in time, your suicidal tendencies turned...somewhat bearable. You did not want to show weakness to me or to any other person, not even to the High Order, so you did your best to excel at what you do and I respected that, and don't get me wrong, I still respect that."

_"And here comes the kicker." _I mockingly thought.

"So imagine my surprise when I saw you being hauled into the infirmary with your face all bashed up and looking like you squared off against a herd of Goliaths." She brought her tablet back up and scrolled down before continuing. "Your sternum is shattered and so are most of your ribs. Your condyle, patella, tibia, and fibula are damaged, which in simpler terms means that your leg is quite fucked up, although, your left leg didn't suffer as much damage as your right. You also suffered a considerable amount of damage to your innards, mostly your intestines, your liver, your spleen, and pancreas. Also, to top it all off, the entirety of your frontal skull is severely damaged, all your teeth included, and so is your cervical."

Once she finished reciting, she once again shut off the device and let out a breath before continuing.

"I'll be frank with you, for all intents and purposes, you should be dead right about now, Roman. But alas, Aura does have such wonderful uses nowadays," She walked slowly towards the head of my bed and once near she looked down on me and continued. ", but I am curious though. Just what kind of person did you fight with?"

I wanted to scoff at that, laugh at that even, but due to my predicament, I instead opted to remain quiet, lest I further damage my already severely damaged body.

As much as I loathe to admit it, what had happened was not a fight. It was more of a one-sided beat down to the death, and I was the one way down on the ropes. And then there was that man, that..utter monstrosity of a man.

"Roman," Halsey urged as she snapped her fingers in front of me. ", I can't see your face entirely but the look in your eyes says it all. You look like you've seen a ghost."

_"More like a fucking monster, actually." _I mentally corrected. And isn't that the truth?

In all my life, I've never faced anyone or anything like that man before.

I've gone up against the most seasoned huntsmen, scrapped with a number of elite White Fang, and I've even gone head to head with the High Order's top assassins. But that man? That fucking monster is on a whole 'nother league.

"I guess it can't be helped," Halsey said with a sigh as she gently shook her head ", no matter, the High Order will find out soon enough. Besides, I'm sure everyone is just dying to know the identity of this mystery man that had bested the great Roman Torchwick." She finished with a look that mirrored both amusement and curiosity.

_"That makes two of us." _I thought back.

My rep already took a toll when I bent the knee to that Cinder bitch. And now, with news of my uncanny defeat spreading throughout all of Remnant, my reputation has probably reached abysmal levels by now. Oh, I can hear it already, those damned bastards are likely thinking I'm losing my edge. That my time is coming to an end.

Well, you know what? Fuck. That. Shit. I won't let my name be so easily squandered. I spent nearly my entire life to get where I am today and no red wearing bitch or human, monster, demon, whatever is gonna ruin that. I'll make sure of it, or my name isn't Roman fucking Torchwick.

"Anyway," Halsey started as she checked the aura-meter that had been set up beside my bed. ", your aura is just about restored. Once it's back in full capacity, it'll naturally start to heal the damage on your body. Though.." She paused to take a good look at me before continuing with a nod. "..considering the amount you sustained, it'll most likely take you a week or two before you're fully recovered. So in the meantime, you should rest. You're little accomplice already paid in advance, so rest assured, the High Order will accommodate all your needs until you are healed."

_"Thank you, Neo. I'll make sure to buy you those chocolate-flavored ice cream cones that you love so much when I get out of here."_

"Well, talk about convenient," Halsey remarked as she stood aside to give me a clear view of the room's entryway. ", I'll leave you two alone to chat. If you need anything, just give me a call." She said as she made her way outside, passing by the person standing in the entryway.

Once Halsey was outside the room, the aforementioned person walked towards the right side of my bed, her whitetail jacket fluttering and her hips rhythmically swaying left and right along the way. When she was close enough she stopped and looked down on me, her piercing brown eyes boring a hole in my skull.

A lot of people have crumbled down to that gaze. For good reason too. But not me. Why? Because out of everyone I know in my life, her glare is by far the only thing I'll ever consider as welcoming. But hey, that's just me talking.

_"Hello there, Neo." _I hand-signed using my right hand. _"Thank you. For paying the High Order for me. I'll pay you back. Promise."_

When your most trusted ally and closest confidant is a mute, then you tend to find a way to ensure communication between the two of you. And thus, hand signs. And besides, it's not like I'm in any condition to talk right now.

_"You're welcome, Roman." _She hand signed back, though far much quicker than me. _"Of course you'll repay me. You always do. But first, you need to rest and recover."_

_"Aww. Is baby worried about daddy?" _I signed.

In response to that, Neo simply flicked me the bird with an expression of underlying murder etched on her face.

_"Sorry. Sorry. Just having some fun, Neo." _Hopefully, it'd be enough to calm down her silent fury.

With a put-upon huff, she rolled her eyes once and shook her head gently. But soon enough, she got down to business. She blinked once, and her brown eyes turned into a pair of mismatched white and light pink. A sign that said it was time to get serious.

_"Cinder bitch came by earlier." _She signed with a frown slowly forming.

Already I felt a migraine come to my head. And the throbbing pain in my slowly healing broken skull wasn't making things any better.

_"What did she want?" _I signed.

_"She wanted to know if you were still up for the job." _She signed back.

_"What did you tell her?"_

_"I told her that you weren't in any shape to continue the job_."

Due to my eye sockets being damaged, I only managed to widen my eyes just a tiny bit. But this proved to be enough for Neo as she quickly continued to sign

"_But I did tell her that 'I' will be the one to carry on the rest of the operations. So don't get your boxers in a twist. We're still on the job."_

While it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if I didn't do this job, my gut instincts since the first time I met Cinder, have been telling me to follow through this trail. She hasn't indulged me with the exact specifics of her master plan, but I know, I just know that whatever she's got planned, all of Vale is gonna be torn asunder, the High Order included. So better to be on the team standing on the high ground rather than be caught in whatever she's got cooked up.

_"Will you be all right?" _I signed to her.

While I'm confident that she'll do flawlessly as my temporary replacement, there's still the issue with that guy I fought. If he's a huntsman, then that means sooner or later Neo is gonna cross paths with him. And though I hold no reservations for Neo's skill in the art of murder, she can even one-up me if she wanted to, I worry about how she'll fare against that monster.

_"The one who did this to me, Neo." _I signed whilst mustering the hardest gaze I could. _"He's strong. Strong enough to almost kill me even. And he's still out there. So please.." _My eyes softened as I continued. _"..be careful."_

Neo held my gaze for what felt like a whole minute before eventually snickering, and much to my irritation, her snickering gradually turned into breathless laughter.

_"Don't worry Roman. I won't let the beast of Vale get me that easily." _She signed as her breathless laughter slowly died down.

_"The beast of Vale?" _I signed, curious of the moniker.

_"It's what the media is calling him, pretty soon it'll spread throughout the entirety of Vale. It's also what the High Order have deemed him as. And I find it fitting actually, it'll be the more satisfying when I slice his head off and take it home as a hunting prize."_ She signed back with an amused smile and a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Huh. Well, what do you know? Not even a day has passed and the asshole already has a title of his own.

_"And besides," _Neo signed as she grasped my right hand. _", he hurt you, Roman. He almost killed you." _Her amused smile had vanished, leaving only a scowl in its absence while her eyes were radiating blood lust. _"So I'll kill him in return."_

Ah, Neo. My ideal kind of daughter. Silent, obedient and most importantly, can kill anyone including me at a moment's notice. I would have laughed out loud, truly I would if I could.

_"That's my girl." _I signed with my left hand as my lips twitch upward just by a mere fraction.

At this Neo's pleasant smile returned. She bent down towards my forehead and gave it a light peck before quickly making her way towards the door. And as she gripped the doors handle, she looked back towards me and signed.

_"Sleep now, Roman. Leave the rest to me."_

And with that, she opened the door and made her way outside. Only when the metal door slid back into place did I tear my gaze from it.

I'm still pretty damn worried about Neo. That Cinder is one thing, she's callous, cruel, and unforgiving. But at least Neo knows that much about her, so she'll do fine so as long she follows orders. But that 'beast' is another thing. He's an unknown. An anomaly. Who knows what kind of man he is and what kind of shit he can dish out.

But I can't really do anything about that now can I? Not as long as I'm still here, lying on this bed, broken and worthless. I need to get back out there as soon as I'm able. Since my aura is already back to full capacity, all I need to do now is channel it to my damaged parts. And hopefully sooner rather than later, I'll be back on my feet to help Neo out.

_"Good luck Neo. I have a feeling your gonna need it kid."_

**Location:** **Beacon's ****airspace**

**Date: July 1st**

**Time: 8:30 AM**

**(Tobias' POV)**

My parents, amongst tons of other lessons, also taught me to prepare for every possibility in any situation. And this lesson has thankfully saved my life on countless occasions. Whether I'm decimating an army of rebels, destroying an armada of pirates, annihilating a fleet of terrorists, toppling the very foundations of the criminal underworld or ending a civil war, mundane stuff. I never would have succeeded in any of that if I hadn't been prepared for it.

But now though, I'm currently experiencing something that I hadn't felt in a 'very' long time. I feel so...lost right now, and in more ways than one.

"So let me get this straight," I say as I point at the two individuals sitting across from me, my face perplexed. ", you two are the heads of a prestigious school that train super-powered adolescence into becoming these..huntsmen and huntresses..so that they may one day fight...monsters?"

"Yes," Ozpin, wielder of by far the best poker face that I have ever seen, replied. ", that pretty much sums it up."

Sweet Mary mother of Jesus. I looked down and held my head in my hands as I further contemplated this piece of information. I had a lot of expectations as to what kind of otherworldly things I'd encounter in my time here. What I didn't expect, however, was the fruition of my worst nightmare.

Children. Not even adults yet. Being trained in the ways of war and prepared to be sent to the slaughter.

_"Damn. I cannot believe that even in another world shit like this still happens. And worse," _I let my hands fall to my lap as I look back up to Ozpin and Miss Glynda, my eyes hard. _", they sound..proud of this fact."_

As if the very aspect of children risking their lives is something to be proud of. It's not. Children, no matter what or where, are meant to be born in peace, live in peace, grow old in peace, and die in peace. Not...this.

"You seem troubled, Mr. Bonifcaio," Ozpin said as he straightened up a bit in his seat. ", whatever is the matter?"

Oh, there were a ton of things that were the matter. And I wanted to shout them all at his face along with a few 'nice' words here and there

But...as much as it loathes me to admit, that wouldn't be the right thing for me to do, at least in this situation.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Miss Glynda once again gripping the crop on her lap tightly with her right hand, while her left quietly inched closer towards Ozpin. Her face was seemingly calm but I knew the truth. Her shoulders were squared, her eyes narrowed just a tiny bit and I could make out the way her eyes subtly dilated and her arm muscles tensed underneath her clothing. Just by the looks of it, she was ready to attack at a moment's notice. And my sudden animosity surely wasn't making things any better.

_"Damn it. You are letting your emotions get the better of you." _I mentally berated myself as I stooped my head and let out a huge sigh.

"Forgive me," I started as I once again made eye contact with Ozpin ", it just bothers me greatly to think that in this world you as well consider burdening 'children' of all things with such a responsibility."

At this, Ozpin smiled as he relaxed once more in his seat and nodded in understanding before replying.

"I assure you, Mr. Bonifacio, that these are no ordinary children." His smile grew a bit as his face lit up in what I assume as pride.

"Your concern is for them is admirable, but you will soon see that it is not needed. These 'children' have trained their whole lives for this. Excelling in their craft and constantly mastering their Aura's and Semblances. They are different from the normal masses. They aspire to be the guardians of this world and the protectors of its people. And with our help, we'll make them into the best huntsmen and huntresses that they can be."

Though she tried to hide it by seemingly looking away to readjust her glasses, my eyes were able to spot the small smile that Miss Glynda had before she coughed and returned to her neutral expression.

Essentially speaking that was meant to be an inspiring speech. A speech meant to ease me of my worries. But in all honesty, it only succeeded in further fanning the worry in my heart.

_"Hmph. You can sugarcoat your words as much you want, sir. It will not change the fact that these children 'are' still children, superpowered or not." _I thought defiantly.

But before I could voice out my thoughts, I felt the aircraft, which I now know is called a bullhead, decrease in speed. And a moment later I felt it descending slowly until eventually, I felt the familiar sensation of a touchdown.

"Headmaster Ozpin, we've arrived." The bullhead's pilot called out.

"That we have," Ozpin said as he unbuckled himself from his seat and stood up with Miss Glynda reciprocating the action a moment later.

"Shall we?" Ozpin said as he gestured towards the now open doorway of bullhead.

Pushing aside my worries, for now, I quickly stood up from my seat. I hadn't bothered to put on the seatbelt considering the issues with my height and body mass. Besides, I had no need for it. Ever since I had mastered the simplicity of balance, among a ton of other things, seatbelts became a thing of the past for me.

"Hmm," I let out an irritated hum as the top of my head pushed against the aircraft's ceiling causing the metal to burst upward.

Even though I've always been thankful for my gifts, they do tend to make some things...more challenging than they need to be.

"I am so sorry for this," I apologized as I pull my head from the hole on the ceiling that I had just made. And judging by the clear view of the blue sky, it seems that I had pushed all the way to the aircraft's exterior.

"No, no. That's all right. More our fault really for not reminding you." Ozpin said while once again gesturing to the doorway. " Why don't you exit first, Mr. Bonifacio. I'm sure being so tall cramped in a small area like this must be tiresome for you."

_"I would not go so far as to call it tiresome. It is more, mildly irritating than anything." _I thought as I crouched and made my way outside.

Once my feet were firmly planted on the ground, I stood back up to my full height as I scan my surroundings.

Judging by the texture and feel of it, it seems that we've landed on a circular metal platform. To the north, I could see a cobblestone pathway lined with lamposts leading to a building that's strangely reminiscent of a castle. And further north, I could make out the silhouette of an even larger building. That one seemed to have a number of spires all connected to the tower in the middle. A quick glance to the west and east showed me similar platforms of the same design as this one. And to the south, I don't even need to turn around to know that way lies the sea. The familiar tang of salt and sulfur in the breeze blowing from that direction and the telltale sound of the waves is proof enough.

"Follow us, Mr. Bonifacio," Ozpin said as he and Miss Glynda walked pass me. ", we still have some matters to settle. Once done, we may continue with our discussion."

Just as I was about to move, a rumbling sound caught my ear. It was coming from the south.

I turned around to see what was causing the noise. And there I saw them, over in the distant sky, three gargantuan airships of some kind, accompanied by a number of bullheads, were quickly closing in towards our location. And judging by their trajectory, it seems plausible that we had passed by them at some point. I must have missed them because of my talk with Ozpin.

"What are those airships doing here Ozpin?" I asked without looking away from the said airships and pointing at them.

"Ah," Came his quick answer. ", those are the airships carrying our esteemed future generation of huntsmen and huntresses."

_"The unfortunate ill-fated children, you mean." _I thought as a frown quickly formed on my face.

"Come now, Mr. Bonifacio." Ozpin once again called out to me, his voice sounding farther than before. A quick glance showed me that he and Miss Glynda had already started walking northwards, leaving me alone as I continue to gaze upon the airships, my worries slowly creeping back into my heart.

With three huge airships, there must be a lot of them. Hundreds probably, maybe even over a thousand. And that just made it all the worse.

_"So many lives. So many chances for death to squander them." _I thought morbidly as my face hardened. My fists clenched so tight my knuckles threatened to burst apart my tactical gloves.

"Mr. Bonifacio," Ozpin called out once more. ", it would be in your best interests to keep up with us."

For a few minutes, I continue to gaze solemnly at the airships. And then, with a resolute nod, I turn on my heel just as the airships docked on the landing platforms. I made my way towards where Ozpin and Glynda were silently waiting for me. Once I was close enough, Ozpin merely gave me a quick nod before he turned around and continued northwards with Miss Glynda following his lead.

As we walked in silence, my ears were able to catch the sounds of multiple individuals disembarking the airships. Though we were a few yards away already, my acute hearing enabled me to detect the sound of their rhythmic footsteps.

"This is Beacon's very own amphitheater," Ozpin said as we arrived at the front of said amphitheater's oaken doors. ", this is where we'll first give our words of welcome to the new arrivals and after that, we may proceed with business."

He pushed the left-hand door and held it open for Miss Glynda to enter first. Once she was through, Ozpin turned to me and gestured for me to enter ahead of him.

Just as I was about to crouch down, an explosion south of me made me abruptly stop. I quickly turned around, and there in the distance, I saw a plume of red smoke wafting upwards. From what I could make out, there were two figures there. One of them was screaming rather loudly.

It was then a sudden chill ran up my spine as my worry struck tenfold.

_"What if the children are injured!?"_

With my instincts immediately going into hyperdrive, I quickly dashed towards the point of the explosion. Ozpin called out to me but I ultimately ignored it as I continued my dash. Along the way, I made sure not to hit any of the incoming children by dodging and sidestepping them as much as I could, but with how fast I was going, the wind velocity my dash was generating proved to be too much for them to handle and thus causing most of them to stumble backward and fall, with the exception of that lilac eyed girl and that bronze armored redhead.

_"I shall apologize to them later."_

Once I was within proximity, I firmly planted my boots to the ground and gradually skidded to a halt. With me now up close to them, I'm now able to get a good look at their forms.

Thankfully they both looked to be all right and unharmed. There was a bit of greyish soot floating around, a few burn marks on the ground, and a number of white cases were scattered about, but other than that, there wasn't much damage to the area.

And to my utter surprise, one of the two I recognize as the young girl with the red cloak that I had encountered earlier this morning. And judging by the look of shock and recognition on her face, I'm willing to bet that she remembers me too.

_"So she is attending this school as well huh.."_

"Are you even paying attention right now!?" The other girl, the one clad in white clothing, berated the red-cloaked girl, seemingly unaware of my presence.

The aforementioned girl had the whitest hair that I had ever seen. It was pulled back into off-center bun tail on the right side of her head, and from what I could see, her hairdo was pinned with an icicle-shaped tiara of sorts. She had thin, rectangular silver earrings. And with her back to me I couldn't figure out her whole attire, but with what I could gather, it seemed that she was wearing a thigh-length dress that graduated from white to pale blue towards the hem, which seemed to be scalloped and stitched in a pattern reminiscent to snowflakes. She also appears to have a thin white sash tied around her waist with a pouch attached to the back, she's also wearing a bell-sleeved bolero with the same color gradation as her dress and it had a giant white snowflake of sorts that took up most of her backside. And to top it all off, she had wedged heeled white boots.

Though the sight of the young woman before me was of regalness, at least that's what the kind of vibe I'm getting from her, I couldn't help but be a little amused and even more worried at the same time.

_"That color scheme literally clashes with every hostile environment I can think of."_

Maybe in a snowy area, she could blend right in. Though I very much doubt an outfit like that can prevent the likes of hypothermia, frostbite, chilblains, and a number of other cold-related illnesses.

"Excuse me, girls," I started, once again focusing on the matter at hand. ", I heard an explosion go off near this area, are you two all right?"

The girl in red, who had been looking up at me non-blinkingly since my arrival, raised her left pointing finger and opened her mouth to answer but was put to a halt when the girl in white let out a huge prolonged sigh that made it more dramatic than it needed to be.

"Listen here you," The girl in white coldly said as she slowly turned around.

", I don't know who you are but this is-" She stopped abruptly when she fully turned around to only see the front panel of my pants.

"..none..of..your.." She slowly continued as her eyes trekked higher and higher up my body.

"..b-business." she finally finished, her voice slightly shaking as her pale blue eyes met my own gunmetal gray orbs.

She took a single wary step back and I could have sworn I heard the faintest sound of an eep escaping through her now tight lips. And to make matters worse, I noticed her not so subtly reaching for the rapier-like weapon holstered on her left side.

_"Yikes. I better put her at ease before she decides to do something brash."_

"No need to be alarmed girls," I started off, mustering the most tender voice I could hoping it'll be enough to calm them down.

"I am merely inquiring if the two of you are all right." I finished with a quick chuckle.

I don't know for sure just what Aura is and how it works but from the tidbits I got from Ozpin, it seems that aura enhances the body somewhat, allowing it to break past normal human limits. Kind of like the drugs that some people use. But still, it's a fact that even the most enhanced body is susceptible to damage. A fact that I've proven true so many times already.

"Uhm...excuse me?" The girl in the red cloak meekly called out to me with her right hand raised.

"Who exactly are you, sir?" She asked and slowly lowered her hand once I had focused on her.

_"Oh, right. I did not even introduce myself properly." _I thought as I coughed into my fist and stood straighter.

"My name is Tobias Ispolinsikiy Bonifacio. It is quite the mouthful, I know, so you may just call me Tobias for short. And I am, well...I guess you could say I am your new teacher here."

The two had varying reactions to that last part. On one hand, the red-cloaked girl seemed agitated as she merely let out a stuttery "Oh" and fidgeted on the spot. It was quite easy for me to decipher the look on her face, the feelings in that single word.

She was worried. And it doesn't take a genius to know why that is, considering who she's talking to.

On the other hand, the white-clad girl had a much more...surprising reaction, to say the least. The moment she fully registered my words she cleared her throat three times before straightening her dress and proceeded to do a curtsy.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Professor Tobias. I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

It was masterful. Her poise and form were perfect. Like that of royalty, it looked like she had practiced and executed that technique so many times that she had successfully honed that and owned it for herself.

See, that's what other people would think. That is all they'd be able to decipher from that simple gesture. But with me on the other hand, I could see what most people could not. Presumptuous as it is to say, I can know and understand the deeper meaning behind one's actions. Akin to that of a clairvoyant, I am able to somewhat perceive the essence of a person's soul.

With this girl's simple curtsy, I could see the feelings beneath it.

Courtesy, expectancy, the all too familiar feeling of trepidation, and the astounding amount of superficiality.

And what made it worse was her smile. Pristine and beautiful but nothing more than a mask to hide something deeper.

_"Holy shit. What the hell has this girl been through? To act like that, to smile like that, and at such a young age."_

It was clear, my lifetimes worth of empathy was telling, no, it was practically yelling at me, that this girl had gone through a lot of shit in her young life.

"Professor?" The white-clad girl, now known as Weiss Schnee, said, bringing me out of my stupor.

"Forgive me," I started off coughing to the side awkwardly, now realizing I was staring directly at her ", I was thinking about some things."

Like the identities and locations of every person responsible for molding this girl into what she is now.

"I'm Ruby Rose." The girl with the red cape, who I now know as Ruby Rose, greeted as she raised her hand upwards awkwardly before putting it down.

"It is nice to meet you both," I said, giving both of them the friendliest smile I could muster.

If I truly am going to be teaching here in this school, then these two will likely be under my tutelage. And if this awkward first encounter with them is anything to go by, then I have my work cut out for me. So starting off with the friendly approach is a must.

"Uhm..excuse me..sir?" A voice, male by the sound of it, called for my attention. This in turn also caused the two girls to glance behind them as well.

Raising my head and diverting my attention from the two young women, I looked to see a blonde young man standing approximately five feet away.

"I-I think I've lost my way, sir. Is it all right if I tag along with you guys?" The young man said as he repeatedly kept on switching his attention from me to Miss Weiss and vice versa.

He was fair-skinned and possessed dark blue eyes. His hair was messily layered on his head with the right side of it nearing his right eye while his left was swept back. The young man was wearing a white diamond-shaped chest plate, white elbow guards and Spaulders of the same color. Underneath his makeshift armor, he wore a black hoodie jacket. He was also wearing wrist length gloves that exposed the fingertips and had small metal plates over the back. Down below, he was wearing blue jeans that were held by two crisscrossing brown belts, he also apparently had sneakers on for shoes. And lastly, he possessed a sword, a long sword if I'm not mistaken, that had a dark blue grip, a pommel made of gold, and a cross-guard of the same material.

Now, I for one am not quick to judge the quality of a book by its mere cover. I've faced my fair share of opponents that were more capable than they looked. However, in this particular instance, my mind, my heart, and my instincts were all solely convinced of one thing.

This young man, this boy, was way out of his league, terrifyingly so.

From my own personal experience, people who have fighting prowess always emit a certain air of intensity. I've come to deem this intensity as, "Sensation of Strength", or S.O.S for short. The stronger the sensation I feel coming from someone, the more I can visualize that person's prowess.

Just like that of Roman Torchwick, that mysterious red-dressed woman, Miss Glynda, and even Ozpin, they all emitted various degrees of S.O.S. Even these two girls, as hard and as shameful as it is to admit, emit much more S.O.S than this boy does.

His posture is also reminiscent of a civilian's. Unrefined, unseasoned, untrained. His eyes tell me that he has never truly experienced battle. Normally that thought would comfort me, but unfortunately, the situation leaves little comfort to be had.

_"Why in the name of God is a kid like him attending a school like this? __I__t is like watching a lone sheep strolling into a den of lions."_

This boy probably wouldn't last a week in this place. The worse possible scenario that I can think of is him dying undergoing one of these school's activities. With the way he is now, that thought is very much likely to happen.

_"Guess I have my work cut out for me with this one as well."_

"Introduce yourself, boy," I said as I gestured for him to come closer.

Understanding my intent, the boy approached closer and stopped once he was standing shoulder to shoulder between Miss Ruby and Miss Weiss.

"My name is Jaune Arc. It's nice to meet you all." He said with a smile to the two girls beside him. Though I did notice him prolonging his gaze a bit on Miss Schnee.

"All right then," I said as I gently clasp my hands together. ", now with the pleasantries done, it is about time we make our way to the amphitheater. I believe the headmaster has an opening speech prepared for you, children."

I looked towards the numerous cases sprawled on the ground.

_"Those must belong to Miss Schnee. I better get those for her._ I thought as I started to quickly pick up the suitcases one by one using my right hand and stacking them on my left hand.

"Oh, uhm..there's no need for that professor. I and my butlers have it covered." Miss Weiss said to me as she gestured to the patiently waiting butlers that were standing beside a silver luggage trolley.

"Though I have no doubts that you can handle something as simple as luggage, Miss Weiss," I started off with a smile as I placed the last case on top of my makeshift stack.

", it would still be beyond ungentlemanly of me to not offer my aid to a lady." I finished with a chuckle and move towards the luggage trolley.

"Oh," She started off with a smile, a far better and far less fake than her last one. "Thank you then, professor."

"I can help." The boy, Jaune Arc, said with a raised finger as he moved closer towards me.

"Me too!" Miss Ruby chipped in, reciprocating Mr. Arc's actions.

I didn't really need any help all things considered, but these two seemed adamant to help albeit, for different reasons, I could tell.

With the way Miss Weiss was giving Miss Rose the stink eye, I could safely assume that something had happened between the two of them. And that Miss Rose was taking this chance to help so that she could fix whatever bad blood she may have with the white-clad girl.

As for Mr. Arc? Well, it wasn't really hard to know why he volunteered to help so chivalrously. I can tell, just as clearly as I can tell night from day, that this boy was enthralled by Miss Weiss.

It's quite refreshing to know that even in another world so different from mine, teenagers are still teenagers at heart.

"Very well then," I started off as I grab the case on top of the stack and hand it ever so gently to Miss Ruby.

"Be careful with that now." I continued as Miss Ruby grabbed hold of the case I had held out to her.

"Thanks." She said with a small smile and a polite nod which I returned in kind.

I turn towards Mr. Arc and wordlessly grab another case from the stack and place it on top of his awaiting hands.

"Thank you, sir," He said with a polite nod of his own. And of course, not wanting to be rude I nod back.

The three of us made our way to the silver luggage trolley and handed the butlers the cases we were carrying, with Miss Ruby being the first one to be relieved of her case, of course. The seconds passed as we along with the butlers wordlessly placed and secured the cases on the luggage trolley.

Once that was all said and done, I turned to the awaiting three.

"All right children, let us go," I said as I started to walk northwards towards the amphitheater.

The three of them nodded and they made to follow me.

I glance back towards Miss Weiss preparing a portable case by her side. I was about to offer to carry it for her when I noticed something that made me stop in my tracks. Through my peripheral vision, I saw a sudden shift of movement to my right. I snapped my attention towards that area, expecting to see someone or something. But all I'm greeted with is the vegetation and the aesthetically pleasing landscape of the school's grounds.

Though I did notice something that stood out from the surrounding environment. It was small, vial shaped, and was of the color red.

Cautiously I saunter towards the mysterious object, much to the confusion of the children. And once I was close enough I take a second to study it. From what I could see, it was indeed a vial and had a brown cork for a lid.

"Wait a minute now," I said under my breath as I familiarize the contents of the vial. ", is this what I think it is?"

I crouch down to pick up the vial. And sure enough, a familiar sensation floods within me the moment my gloved hand gently grasped it. It was the same strange sensation that I felt back when I had touched the contents from the store earlier this morning.

Dust, I believe that is what Ozpin had explained to me. What a strange name for a material that can presumably enable its users to wield the very elements. But really, who am I to judge? Coming from another world isn't exactly normal either.

Further inspecting the vial in my grasp, I turn it around. And there I saw a snowflake logo on its midsection. A snowflake that was of the exact same design as the one on Miss Weiss' bolero.

"Miss Weiss," I called for the girl's attention as I stood back up and held the vial so she could see. ", is this by any chance yours?"

It took a few seconds but eventually, a look of recognition adorned her face.

"Yes, it is." She said as she shot Miss Ruby a quick glare and proceeded to strut, actually strut, towards me, head held high and chest puffed up, with her portable case in tow.

Pride and a little bit of embarrassment, I could see that much and...irritation as well for some reason.

"Thank you, professor." She said with a smile as she held out her hand. Though it didn't quite reach her eyes, I could see she was genuinely trying.

"You are welcome Miss Weiss," I said with a smile of my own whilst gently handing the vial to her.

She kneeled down and opened her portable case. Inside it, I saw a number of other Dust vials of different colors, all having the snowflake brand on them. She then secured the red Dust vial into one of the case's open slot. Once done, she closed the case and shifted it once more into its portable form. And though Miss Weiss likely counted on me not hearing her, unfortunately, for her that is, I was able to pick up what she mumbled underneath her breath as she closed the case and dusted herself off.

"Gods, such a disgrace. And in front of a professor no less. This is all that red-caped dolt's fault."

_"Red caped dolt?" _I thought as I glanced towards Miss Ruby, who quickly looked away the moment I made eye contact with her.

_"Ah, I see." _I thought as Miss Weiss and I made our way back to rejoin the others.

Once we were there, Miss Weiss huffed and refused to even acknowledge Miss Ruby as she moved to stand a foot apart beside her.

Miss Ruby could only hang her head and hands down in clear dejection at Miss Weiss' actions. And as if that wasn't already enough to tug at my heartstrings, the girl pouted and kicked at the ground with the sole of her boot.

There have been times my very vivid imagination has been of great help to me. Like playing out dangerous scenarios in my head, calculating the odds, and even in battle, this allows me to better gauge my opponent's prowess by the imagery of it. However, there are also times in which I wish there was also an off switch for my imagination.

This right here is definitely one of those times. Especially since the imagery that I could see from Miss Ruby, was of a pouting corgi puppy, abandoned in the middle of a dark forest all alone.

_"Wow. Of all the things. A corgi, really?" _I mused momentarily before focusing on the new rising problem at hand.

There was obviously an air of...well, I can't really call it animosity, I don't sense nearly enough malicious intent to be that case. It's more akin to dislike than anything, but dangerous none the less. As I've learned in my life, negative emotions such as dislike, in and of itself is a small thing, similar to that of a small cut it won't do much damage, early on that is. But if not treated right and left neglected it will eventually fester and quite possibly leave a scar. Not just a physical kind either, but the kind that can never be seen by the naked eye.

_"I need to have Miss Ruby and Miss Weiss make up later on. This kind of behavior is just simply hazardous."_

And honestly speaking, that was true in more ways than one. Not only would it be a hindrance in their chance to interact with one another, but it would also prove to be their downfall later on in their lives.

"All right then," I said, catching the attention of all the children and butlers. ", I believe it is about time we make our way, or else you will miss Ozpin's speech. Come then, everyone."

I turn around and place my hands within my pockets as I start to move towards the amphitheater, albeit with a slightly increased pace, a mere fraction of my shift one. A second later I heard the others follow my lead, their quickened footsteps and the sounds of the luggage trolley's wheels not far behind.

All the while, a number of thoughts were swirling in my mind and all of them about the things of this world. Ozpin and his out of the blue offer, Beacon Academy, huntsmen, and huntresses, Aura, whatever Semblances are, Dust and most of all, these children and their potential, bar Mr. Arc, for obvious reasons.

The potential that now falls on me to shape and refine. I've never taught before. I didn't really need to considering I've always done my jobs all by myself. But now, for whatever reason Ozpin has, he's made me a teacher. Granted I have no clue as to what an ideal teacher should be, that's not going to deter me from teaching these children to the best of my abilities. After all, even if I am now in another world, I still have to keep my promise.

_"I wonder, just what else does this world has in store for me."_

**Location: Beacon Academy**

**Date: July 1st**

**Time: 8:46 AM**

**(Ruby's POV)**

_"Wowzers, I can't believe this is actually happening." _I thought surprised as the others and I were practically jogging just to keep up with Professor Tobias.

The man was just so darn tall. Every single step he took looked like a freakin stride. And what's even more surprising is the pace he's 'walking'. Barely a minute had passed and we were already close to the entrance of a circular building which must be Beacon's amphitheater.

And speaking of surprises, I can't believe the things that had happened until now.

First, Yang ditched me all lone to be with her 'friends' so that I can 'socialize', then I stumbled upon the crabbiest girl I've ever met all because I was distracted and fell on her luggage, and when I tried to apologize for it she just kept on yelling at me, and then I exploded, EXPLODED, all because of a darn sneeze. And then out of nowhere a huge gust of wind blew by and appeared the very same man that had constantly been on my mind since this morning.

I knew there was a chance for me to encounter him here, Profesor Ozpin did say he was one of Beacon's. But I didn't expect him to actually be one of our professors. And that honestly left me in a state of both excitement and fear.

I've seen first hand just how powerful this Huntsman is, so it'd be a privilege to have someone like him be our teacher. But I've also witnessed how gut-wrenchingly frightening this man can be. I dread to imagine what he'll do to those that disappoint.

"Man..why is he walking so fast? Cant he like..ha..walk slower?" The blonde boy to my left, Jaune Arc I recall, said a little out of breath when he almost tripped and fell but luckily caught himself in time.

Now I remember why he looked familiar, he was that boy that puked on the airship. The memory of it made me snicker and unfortunately, that drew his attention to me.

_"Oh way to go Ruby, the first boy you meet here and you make fun of his expense." _I scolded myself.

"Hey, I..ha..didnt catch your name." He said as he continued to jog at a pace that was clearly getting slower and slower.

"It's Ruby. Ruby Rose. Your Jaune Arc right?" I replied with a smile.

_"Phew. Glad he didn't think I was being mean."_

"That's right. Short..sweet..ha..rolls off the tongue, ladies love it..ha..." He said while intaking huge breaths.

I quirked my left eyebrow at that. I didn't have much experience in the whole flirting game, that's more up Yang's alley, but I know enough. I'm fifteen, not five after all. And if that was his way of flirting then it honestly needed a bit of work.

I was about to say something back when a voice harshly whisper-shouted to my right.

"Will you nincompoops be quiet!? It's very ill-mannered to act so aloofly in the presence of a professor. Have you two no esteem at all?"

The voice, of course, belonged to no other than the crabby girl in white, Weiss Schnee, the so-called heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. She was currently jogging at the same pace as I was, her entourage of butlers steering her luggage trolley far behind. Once Jaune and I were quiet, she huffed and faced forward.

_"Well, this sucks."_

And wasn't that the truth. This was turning out to be a rocky first day here in Beacon, what with the whole blowing up and triggering miss uptight over there. On the plus side though, Jaune seems like the friendly type and he's a bit of a dork too, so I at least have that going for me.

"Here we are." The professor spoke up with his gruff voice as he stopped in front of the oaken doors.

This, in turn, had me, Jaune, Weiss and her butlers stopping in our tracks to take a bit of a breather. Well, more than just a breather in the case of Jaune.

"After you, children." Professor Tobias said with a smile as he turned around to face us and opened one of the oaken doors.

And that was another thing that surprised me, I mean really, surprised me. His smile and the way he talked to us. It all felt so...gente and kind. A complete opposite of what I felt when he faced off against Roman Torchwick. The man that I saw back then looked like a feral grim ready to destroy everything and everyone in its path. But the man I see right now kind of reminds me of Dad for some reason.

"Why thank you, Professor Tobias," Weiss said fancily as she walked past said professor, her butlers and luggage trolley following close behind.

"Well, uhm...ladies first?" Jaune said a nervous smile as he gestured to the now open doorway.

I couldn't tell if he was nervous because he was trying to be gentlemanly or because of the fact that Professor Tobias' imposing form was beside the entryway. And wouldn't that mean he was using me as a meat shield if the latter were true?

_"Wow, I honestly don't know how to feel about that."_

Regardless, I better get a move on.

"Well, thanks Jaune, I guess," I said, a little bit unsure as I made my way towards the entrance.

And not wanting to be rude to the professor, I sent him a thank you with a smile.

"You are most welcome, Miss Ruby." He replied with that smile of his.

_"Man, that's gonna take some time to get used to."_

Once through, I looked around the rows of people for the familiar blonde that is my sister Yang

"Ruby! Over here!"

Well, talk about great timing. I looked over to the right, and sure enough there she was, waving her left hand to get my attention.

"Come on little sis, I saved you a spot!" Yang hollered out.

I looked back with the intention of saying "see you later" to Jaune, only to see the blonde boy talking with Professor Tobias. I was too far away to hear what they were talking about exactly, but seeing as Jaune wasn't quaking in his boots, I guess he was all right

_"Well, I'll talk to him later." _I thought as I made my way towards Yang.

Moments later I was now standing beside Yang.

"Hey, there little sis, what took ya so long?" Yang asked.

Oh, just a number of things, really. Like an explosion, Mc-crabby, and of course, there was Professor Tobias himself.

"Well, you see-" I started, only to be cut off by a multitude of gasps and exclamations from the people around us. And I could have sworn I heard someone yell out something about a gigantic sloth.

"Whoa now, what's going-Holy shiz!" Yang exclaimed, her eyes going wide when she turned to face whatever had caught everyone's attention.

This in turn also got me to face the same direction they were facing, and almost immediately I understood why everyone was surprised.

I mean, anyone would be if you were witnessing a literal giant making his way inside through a doorway that was clearly not meant for someone of his size. The only reason why I wasn't so shocked, was because I had already encountered the man, twice now, and have somewhat gotten used to the professor's gigantic frame and it also helps that I've already seen a gentler side to him. And I'm guessing Jaune and Weiss weren't as affected either.

But for Yang and the rest of the people here? Yeah, they're not doing so well. And the professor looking around to face everyone in the amphitheater sure wasn't helping things. Some flinched, some looked away either not affected or too scared to look back, and some outright bore their weapons.

I don't blame them. Even I readied my precious Crescent Rose when I had first laid my eyes on this man.

Dad taught me and Yang that those who have trained in the ways of hunting beasts like the creatures of Grimm, develop a sort of sixth sense. He explained to us that this sixth sense allows Huntsmen and Huntresses to better gauge how powerful a target is and how dangerous they are.

And right now, Professor Tobias' mere presence was setting everybody off.

Said professor must have noticed this, seeing as he gently shook his head and let out a sigh. Was it a sigh of frustration? I have no way of knowing for sure. And then, a second later he looked towards the stage, where the two familiar forms of Professor Ozpin and miss Glynda were waiting.

And without a word, he moved.

And of course, being the object of everyone's anxiousness and moving so suddenly didn't do much to calm down their fight-or-flight reflex.

The people standing in his path quickly pushed aside the others so that they could make way for him, even resorting to outright shoving each other. It was almost comical, in a way. His towering form passing the sea of people reminded me of a bowling ball knocking down all the bowling pins.

Wordlessly, Professor Tobias continued to make his way towards the stage, his heavy footsteps echoing in the now-dead silent amphitheater, all the while completely ignoring the way everyone was staring at him. Once he was close to the stage, Professor Ozpin said something I couldn't hear and gestured to the back. In response to this, Professor Tobias waved off whatever they were talking about and proceeded to suddenly do a leap, a leap that lifted his massive form ten feet off the ground, much to the surprise of everyone, except for me that is.

Spinning a hundred and eighty degrees mid-fall, he landed directly beside Ozpin and then proceeded to chat with him as if nothing had happened at all.

"Who the heck is the big guy?" Yang asked under her breath as she disengaged her gauntlets, Ember Celica.

I heard similar questions being murmured by the other people around us. No doubt they were all curious to know who this mystery giant is.

_"Should I tell Yang? Or should I wait until Professor Tobias says it himself?"_

I look towards the aforementioned professor, who at the moment was still engrossed in talking with the headmaster. And after spending a few seconds to ponder about it, I decided that there was no harm no foul in telling Yang what I knew.

"Psst, Yang," I whispered to my slightly taller sister.

Hearing this, Yang tore her gaze from Professor Tobias and redirected her attention to me.

"What is it, sis? She asked with a raised brow. "And why are you whispering?"

"Shush!" I whisper shouted back. "Keep your voice down, and come closer. I've got something to tell you."

The reason for my discretion was because I didn't want to spoil the news to the others here. Yang is just exception cuz she's, my sis.

"All right then." She said with a shrug of shoulders as she bent her knees a bit and leaned her ear closer to me.

"That man, the giant one, I forgot his full name, it was really long, but what I'm sure of is that his name is Tobias and that he's a professor here in Beacon," I whispered to her ear as I nodded towards the stage.

"Whoa, really!?" She whisper-shouted, to which I nod in confirmation.

"And you happen to know this...how? She whispered back while looking back towards the stage.

"Well, when you left me to fend off by myself-".

"Now that's a little overdramatic Rubes," She cut off as she looked back to me with a smirk.

"Hush! I don't want to hear about your betrayal, betrayer." I huffily retorted as I pushed away from her.

"Okay okay, whatever you say, Rubes" She waved off with a chuckle as she glanced back towards the stage. "And then? What happened next?"

With one final huff and glare, I leaned back in and continued in a whisper.

"After that, I met this really mean girl and I accidentally tripped over her luggage, and when I tried to apologize for it she just kept on yelling at me and shaking dust in front of my face, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded-

"Pfft..." Yang's face scrunched up in a way that looked like she was trying so hard to keep her laughter in.

"Yang, if you laugh at me, you can forget about me telling you what I know," I whispered with a glare as I felt the heat rise up to my cheeks.

She snorted and covered her mouth, nevertheless, she still let out a bit of a laugh. She gestured for me to keep going, so I did. But not before sending her a kick to the shin, to which of course went unnoticed by her, much to my already mounting frustration.

"The point is, that after the explosion happened Professor Tobias showed up, helped me and that mean girl out and got us here. Oh, and there was also Jaune."

"Jaune?" Yang asked.

"Yeah, a blonde boy who was with us, he wore white armor stuff and had a sword strapped to his left. He was really nice too, kind of awkward, like me." I explained chirpily as I look around the area for the mentioned boy.

Unfortunately, the boy was nowhere to be seen. The only familiar face that I could discern was that of the mean girl, Weiss. She was on the other side of the amphitheater, thank gods for small mercies, talking to a red-haired girl wearing bronze armor.

"Oho, Jaune eh~? Has a boy finally caught your eye, little sis? 'Bout time if you ask me."

It took my brain a few seconds to process what Yang had just said, and a few more seconds to understand the meaning behind it.

"W-What are you talking about?" I stuttered out, a blush starting to take form on my face as I looked away from Yang and her stupid grinning face.

"I don't have a crush. I just like that he's nice and all." I defended with post-haste.

Stupid Yang and her stupid teasing. Jaune is nice but I barely know anything else about the guy to warrant a crush.

"Ahem." The voice of Professor Ozpin boomed throughout the amphitheater, courtesy of the microphone he was using, silencing us all and catching our attention.

"I'll..keep this brief." The Professor started off as he readjusted his glasses and stabbed his cane down on the stage floor,

"You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills." His gaze shifted from left to right as he continued. "And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

I would've perked up at that. It is, after all, a pretty accurate portrayal of the sole reason why I want to be a huntress in the first place. To help others. To be there for those in need. Just like mom.

But the look on Professor Tobias' face actually made me balk as my heart skipped a beat.

The moment Professor Ozpin said out the part about the dedication of our lives, a scowl adorned Professor Tobias' face, teethed slightly bared. The frown lines and wrinkles on his forehead becoming ever so prominent as his lips peeled back by a fraction. And what made it even more frightening, was the way his eyes glazed over and stared into space. If I were being honest, it looked eerily similar to that of a Beowolf readying itself for the kill.

And it seems I wasn't the only one who noticed this either. Seeing as the once dead silent amphitheater was now filled with the sounds of nervous murmurs. And if the strong grip Yang had on my shoulder was of an indication, I'd bet she was feeling the same as I was.

Even the headmaster himself stopped once he had taken notice of the startled actions of the people at the front row. He turned his head slightly towards Professor Tobias and whispered something I couldn't hear.

A few seconds later, Professor Tobias' glazed eyes returned to focus as he looked down towards us, causing the ones closest to the stage to flinch back. Once he saw this, he quickly retracted his scowl, face relaxing once more and opted to look away from the audience.

Most of the audience visibly, and audibly, sagged when those fierce gray orbs were no longer set upon them. And surprisingly enough, I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding as I felt Yang's hand loosen her grip on my shoulder but remained perched there still.

"As I was saying..." The headmaster carried on after coughing to catch once again our attention.

"I look amongst you..." He paused to take a glance at Profesor Tobias before continuing. "...and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, direction."

_"That's...that's honestly kinda me__an." _I thought as I glance towards Yang, who also had a look of mild irritation on her face.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this. But your time here in this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far."

A look of seriousness graced Ozpin's face. It wasn't as scary looking as Professor Tobias', but I could see the intensity in it.

"It is up to you, to take the first step."

_"Wow, that was pretty deep." _I pondered as looked around see everyone else looking like they too were pondering about the Headmasters words.

The headmaster turned towards Professor Tobias and said something as he gestured for him to follow. Professor Tobias glanced towards Miss Goodwitch, who was walking up to the microphone and then to us, before eventually nodding and following the departing headmaster.

And I don't know if he noticed or not, but all eyes were set on his massive form as he made his leave with the headmaster.

"Attention children, attention." Miss Goodwitch called through the microphone. "You will all be gathering at the ballroom tonight, which will serve as your temporary sleeping quarters. So for the remainder of the day, feel free to roam the school grounds. Tomorrow is when your initiation will begin, so be prepared. That is all, you are dismissed."

She gave a small bow to the audience and proceeded to walk off stage towards the same direction the headmaster and Professor Tobias went.

Once she was far out of sight, murmurs once again filled the amphitheater accompanied by a series of not so discreet yells of astonishment. And I could've sworn I heard Jaune and Weiss say something about Professor Tobias somewhere in the crowd. The former of the two was still missing from my field of vision while the latter was still talking to the red-haired girl, who was intently gazing at the direction the headmaster and professors went.

"Hey, Rubes," Yang called for my attention while tapping my head.

"What is it, Yang?" I asked once I had turned to face her.

"What do you think was up with the new Prof? He looked kinda..." Yangdrawled out the last part as she struggled to find the words.

"Kinda like someone ready to lunge at you and rip your throat out?" I continued for her.

Cuz that's exactly what I thought then, and that's the same thing I thought when I had first seen his "angry" face back at the store.

_"Oh yeah, I still need to tell Yang about that."_

"Wow..okay, I did not think about it like that until you said it just now." She said as she whipped her golden mane backward.

"Scary gigantic Professors aside, why don't you and I have a look around Beacon?" She asked me. "We've still got a long wait until tonight, and that Goodwitch lady did say we can wander around. So let's go."

I thought about it for a few seconds, after which, I made my decision.

"Sure, that sounds awesome."

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Come on." Yang said thrillingly and gestured for me to follow her as she started walking towards the exit doors.

"Ah, Yang! Don't you dare leave me all by myself again." I threatened halfheartedly.

I knew Yang would never really abandon me. But still, after that stunt she pulled off earlier I'm not about to take my chances.

In response to this, Yang let out a hearty laugh and placed her right arm around my shoulders in a half-hug as we continued to make our way to the exit.

* * *

**CHAPTER END...**

**A/N: Welp, that's chapter four for you folks. More insight on Tobias' character, change of events from CANON (This is bound to happen because of Tobias), and a little bit of my very own world-building.**

**Next Chapter: May or so.**


	5. A short notification

**Greetings readers, followers, and favoriters (People that have favored my story and yeah, that's a made-up word lol).**

**First things first, I am so, so, so sorry for the delay in the update of the fifth chapter. Said chapter is still in its early stages and I've only just started its construction two days ago.**

**The reason for this is that the month of May has had me swamped with various activities that have taken most of my time and attention. I won't bore you guys with the exact details, but you could say that I've been moving from region to region on familial matters. And thus, RWBY: ANEW got shelved for a bit. But now that my time table is free, I'm going to commit on continuing where I left off the story.**

**It'll take time, that's a given. But expect the next chapter to be out somewhere around the month of June.**

**Well, that was all I needed to say for now. See you guys in the next chapter.****This is Starco4Life, with much love from the Philippines, wishing you a good morning, afternoon and evening.**


	6. Chapter 5: Magisters of Beacon

**A/N: Hello again~ everyone. I would like to apologize once more for the delay in the monthly updates and I hope that y'all didn't mind it that much.**

**Remember guys, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me. I won't spoil a major ton with in-detail answers but just enough to peak at your ****imaginations.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY and honestly I never will lol, also all other references that you'll see belong to their rightful owners. I am by no means a plagiarist, I am merely getting inspiration from them. ****The events, characters, and firms depicted in this story are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual firms, is purely coincidental**

**More notes at the end, but until then****?**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Location: Beacon Academy**

**Date: July 1st**

**Time: 9:15 AM**

**(Author's POV)**

Glynda Aerona Goodwitch. The mighty deputy headmistress and combat instructor of Beacon Academy.

To her close friends and loved ones, they know her as the headstrong woman possessing a virtuous and loving heart. But to those that don't truly know her, especially her enemies and the ever unsuspecting lech, she is known to be cold, strict, and overall intimidating.

And right now, the Witch of Vale was feeling particularly ticked off whilst waiting at the entryway of the headmaster's tower. Judging by the sour look smearing her beautifully aged face, you can tell that she's aggravated, more so than usual. If her furrowed brow and scowl weren't obvious enough, then the way students both old and new quickly finding it better to be far away from her line of sight made it even more telling.

But unbeknownst to the everyone else, the cause of her irritation was due to a certain Headmaster who had recently made quite the questionable decision and had brought forth a huge predicament, both in the literal and metaphorical sense.

_"What were you thinking, Ozpin?" _Glynda thought. "_I understand why we need to keep close tabs on this man but making him a teacher here has to be the most absurd idea you've ever had, yet.__"_

This was the decision that Headmaster Ozpin had made, much to Glynda's dismay and utter disbelief.

_"This is a great opportunity for us, Glynda. With another powerful ally on our side, our chances of turning the tide against our enemies have risen. Furthermore, you've seen what he's capable of. Surely you can see the benefits of him teaching the students."_ Was what he had said to her when she inquired him, in private of course.

And it was true, to an extent. Glynda could understand the logic behind Ozpin's intentions, the benefits of having someone of that caliber on their side. But, that didn't mean she was fully comfortable with it.

_"Tobias. I don't even know if that's his real name or not. But what I do know is that man is dangerous. Deadly, even." _Glynda continued to ponder. _"__And to make matters even more worrisome, he made quite the startling first impression on the students."_

Startling first impression, indeed. Glynda had imagined a number of scenarios on how the would-be students would react to the presence of Tobias. What she hadn't imagined was the sight of said would-be students scurrying away like frightened kindergarteners. And though she was a tad agitated at seeing Huntsmen and Huntresses in training cowering and trembling, she reasoned that they were still young and would in time learn to conquer fear.

And it was also because it was 'him' that was putting them off.

"Oh, Glynda~! We're here~!" A chirpy voice called from her left. This, in turn, got Glynda out from her pondering and turned towards the direction of the voice.

_"Ah, about time." _Glynda thought as the one that had called out made their way towards her.

"A good morning to you Zoe, and to you all as well. I'm glad you could all make it on such short notice." Glynda greeted with a warm smile and a polite nod to Zoe and the two other Beacon professors, her earlier look of agitation quickly dashed aside.

"Not to worry Glynda, me and Barty-Warty here were just lounging around when we got your message," Zoe said as she hopped up and hooked her arms around the neck of her significantly taller twin and proceeded to dangle from it, legs kicked up whilst smiling cheekily.

This is Zoe Oobleck, twin sister of Bartholemew Oobleck, Biology teacher and nurse of Beacon Academy. She possesses the same green colored hair as her brother, the difference being her hair was smoother and longer in comparison and was done in a fishtail styled ponytail. She also had the same brown eyes and fair white skin as her twin. Her attire composed of a yellow turtleneck sweater, navy blue textured trousers, a pair of dark hemlock ankle boots, an unbuttoned white lab coat, and adorning her face were her signature thin square-framed glasses.

If one were to surmise Zoe was a gender bent version of her brother, they would technically be correct. Seeing as not only do they share the same blood, but the also share near-identical facial features. However, there were three things that just made these two siblings stand out from one another. The first is their overall attitude. Where Bartholomew was exceedingly hyper only in times concerning history and consuming large amounts of coffee, Zoe was naturally hyper and especially eccentric, even in her sleep, much to Bartholomew's slight annoyance. The second is their height difference. Bartholomew stands at approximately six feet and seven inches whereas Zoe is an entire foot shorter than him. The third reason is the difference in their expertise. Bartholomew has a Ph.D. in History whilst Zoe has a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Physiology.

"Sister, if you would be so kind as to cease dangling from my neck, I would very much appreciate it," Bartholomew said in a calm tone that sounded like this was an everyday occurrence in his life. Well, considering how his sister is, it may just as well be.

This is Bartholomew Oobleck or as he prefers to call himself, Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck. The esteemed Historian of Beacon Academy.

"Okey dokey Barty-Warty~," Zoe said in a sing-song manner as she relinquished her hold on her brother and moved to stand beside him, all the while humming happily with her smile ever present.

Glynda couldn't stop herself from chuckling gently at witnessing the usual antics of the Oobleck twins. The sight of Huntsmen finding the time to be carefree and relaxed always did bring warmth to her aged heart. The gods know how far in between those instances are in their line of work.

"So Glynda," The portly man with them spoke up. ", might I ask why you've summoned us? You see, I was in the middle of completing a task of great importance-"

"Does it involve a sculpture of you?" Glynda cut off with a small smirk. "Because whenever 'you' say the word important, Peter, it likely involves something over the top like a sculpture of you or a statue of you."

In response to this, the man let a boisterous laugh that lasted a good minute before stopping to catch his breath and wiping a small tear from his eye.

"My oh my, am I truly becoming that predictable nowadays?" Peter replied in his ever ebullient manner.

"Yes." Glynda, Bartholomew, and Zoe replied synchronously, all three of them having various degrees of a smirk on their faces.

Peter merely let out another boisterous laugh at their response.

This is Peter Port, the Professor of Grimm studies at Beacon Academy. Despite his physique and somewhat boastful attitude, he is appraised both by his fellow Huntsmen and students as an exemplary Huntsman. And though some of his claims are true-ish somewhat, Glynda knows that most of his "extravagant adventures" are highly exaggerated. She would know, she handled the three of them when they were still Huntsmen-in-training after all.

"But in all seriousness Miss Glynda, why did you summon us?" Bartholomew asked once Peter had stopped laughing.

The question was an innocent one, brought forth only due to curiosity and the need of wanting to know the truth. But that also meant Glynda had to get back to business, which also meant she had to tackle yet again the headache-inducing dilemma that she begrudgingly must face.

_"Well, as shortlived as it was, the reprieve was nice." _Glynda thought, her facial features slowly inched into a look of frustration as she let out a tired sigh.

Peter and the Oobleck twins were quick to pick up on the sudden shift of her mood but before any of them could fully contemplate anything, Glynda spoke up.

"Headmaster Ozpin has some..news..he wishes to disclose to us." She said, stiffly.

"Any idea as to what this news is about, Miss Glynda?" Peter asked.

The Oobleck twins looked expectantly at her, awaiting an answer.

Oh, she knew what it was about. And Glynda would be lying if she said she didn't want to tell them now and save them the 'surprise'. But, the professional side of her won out in the end and decided to leave the explanations to Ozpin.

"You'll find out soon enough," Glynda started off as she turned around and pushed open the tower's entryway. ", now come, Ozpin awaits us."

And with that said she made her way through the tower's threshold, followed closely by Peter and the Oobleck twins. Crossing the tower's circular hall, they quickly boarded the elevator that would take them to the top. And as it made its ascent, a number of questions made themselves apparent in the minds of everyone present. For Peter and the Oobleck twins, they were wondering as to what exactly Ozpin had in store for them. Being summoned to a meeting was nothing they hadn't already gone through numerous times but having one in the Headmaster's office was a rare occurrence and usually meant it was about something of importance. Safe to say, because of this fact the three of them were more than anxious as they waited to reach the top. Glynda, on the other hand, wondered what their reactions would be upon seeing Tobias. She was confident that they wouldn't react poorly as most of the new students did, these three were already battle-hardened and had long since learned to tame fear. However, she was anxious to find out just how exactly they'd react to Tobias' presence.

The reason for her curiosity was because she wanted to find out if she wasn't the only one that could feel the..sensation, for lack of a better term, that she felt whenever Tobias was within proximity.

When she had first met the man her heart had actually skipped a beat, as hard as it is to believe. Thankfully she was able to recover from the shock quickly enough and masked her fear as best she could. And it wasn't his overall physical appearance that bothered her, he wasn't hideous looking by any means, though his sheer size and physique did make her wary of him all the more. But it was this sensation radiating from him that daunted Glynda the most. It was unlike anything that she had ever felt from another human or faunus.

It was almost..monstrous like in nature and..frighteningly familiar to her. It reminded Glynda of something, something she had faced in her youth. The idea was absurd to her, and no doubt others would agree but there was no doubt the similar sensation that Tobias invoked upon her.

_Primordial Grimm._

A slight shudder ran up Glynda's spine from the remembrance of their name. And it still confused her to no end on just how a single man could adduce the same feeling as that of the ancient monstrosities of darkness.

_"Just what are you?" _Glynda thought.

Before she could ponder any further, the elevator dinged as it finally reached the Headmaster's office and opened. Once the doors fully opened, the first thing that came into view was Ozpin sitting on his chair behind his desk. The group made their way out of the elevator and towards Ozpin. He looked as calm as ever, with his arms placed on the chair's armrests with a warm and welcoming look on his face. But Glynda noticed something else. Something that she was quite familiar with. There was this look in his eyes, it was the same look he had whenever he went through an argument of some kind.

"Are you all right, Ozpin?" Glynda asked, genuinely worried for the man, as she and the rest of her group stopped two feet from his desk.

A part of her wanted to be professional and wait for him to tell her if something was wrong, but a bigger part of her, the part that had been forged and solidified through years of commandery worried too much for Ozpin's well being to wait.

"Oh, its nothing Glynda, Tobias and I just had a bit of a...talk, as all." He answered, smiling.

At the mention of Tobias' name, Glynda's heart immediately raced as thoughts of what might have happened while she was away played out in her mind, none of them pleasant. The worry must have been evident that Ozpin noticed it and couldn't help but let out a short laugh.

"Calm yourself, Glynda." He said with a reassuring look. " As you can see, I am perfectly well and fine. We did not trade blows, merely words."

Deep words. Glynda could tell that much. About what though, Glynda would inquire later on in private.

"And who is this Tobias fellow you speak of, Ozpin?" Peter asked.

It was then that Glynda noticed that the man in question was nowhere to be seen, well from her line of sight at least. For a moment, she dreadfully thought that he might have left Beacon in a fit. But that line of thought was quickly dashed away.

"That would be me, sir." A gruff voice answered from behind them. A voice that rightfully put Glynda, Peter and the Oobleck twins on edge. It's not everyday someone can sneak behind professional Huntsmen unnoticed, after all.

They quickly turned around to face the direction of the voice. And there at the office's upper catwalk was Tobias, in all his imposing glory, standing nonchalantly with a neutral look on his face.

_"By the gods, how did we not sense him there?" _Glynda thought surprised whilst she took a quick glance to her left and right to see how Peter and the Oobleck twins were fairing.

Peters bushy brows were raised as high as they could go as his eyes bulged in proportion. A noteworthy feat, considering he's only ever done that 'twice' in all the years that Glynda had known the man. Bartholomew was doing no better, the man's mouth was agape as his eyes widened as well. But Zoe, on the other hand, seemed...ecstatic for some reason. Glynda would have mistaken her shaking as fear if it wasn't for the smile she had that was gradually increasing. And there was also that look in her eyes. The kind of look that had the word excitement written all over it.

But before Glynda could ponder any further, Tobias leaped over the railings and landed a few feet away from them. Surprisingly, there wasn't a loud boom at the point of impact, in fact, there was no sound at all. And even more surprising is that he actually landed using the rand of his boots and bent his knees before hitting the ground. The technique, of course, was nothing new to Glynda. She had already learned, used and taught it throughout the years of her life as a Huntress and teacher.

Which is why she was currently flabbergasted at the sight of Tobias doing it. She knew that technique was useful and if done right, can help in infiltration and escapes by reducing the sound of jumps to mute levels. But, she also knew that not everyone could execute it. This is because mass and weight eventually come to the equation. If the user is bulky and heavy in nature, no matter how perfectly done the technique is, a sound will emanate from their landing. In theory, it could be feasible for larger individuals to perfect this technique and effectively use it, given enough training. However that is just in theory, and as far as Glynda knew, no one with a large body mass has been able to mute their landing. It was just simply too impossible.

_"Just..just what in Remnant are you?" _Glynda thought, quizzically as Tobias calmly got closer and closer towards them.

Once he was within a meter from them, he stopped and took in a breath. This simple action caused them to inch back a bit sans Zoe who actually inched forward, her now wide smile ever present.

"Hello," Tobias started off with a smile too warm to match the intimidation radiating of from his person. ", I am Tobias Ispolinsikiy Bonifacio. But you may call me Tobias if you wish."

He offered his hand in a greeting gesture. As rude as it may seem, no one made a move to shake it. They're not to blame, after all. The man's hand was just as imposing as the rest of him. To call it meaty would be too much of an understatement. Its muscle and bone knuckle made it seem as if the hand was something made out of steel clad boulders. They feared that if they were to clasp their hand with..that..they would never clasp anything ever again. Even Ozpin, who had been watching the whole scene unfold, was worried about the thought of having to shake that monstrous hand. However, it seems that not everyone was afraid.

"Hellotheresiritisverynicetomeetyou," Zoe said in the near-incomprehensible way she does whenever she gets excited as she dashed towards Tobias and clasped both of her hands on his single outstretched one and 'tried' shaking it as much as she could but only ended up straining her arms to bring Tobias' hand up and down." MynameisZoeOobleckIamverymuchpleasedtomeetyouandmywordthisisactuallyheavierthanIthoughtitwouldbe."

Tobias' face lit up in surprise at the woman's actions and rather strange speech pattern, however, the surprise merely lasted a split second before Tobias let out a short mirthful chuckle and smiling warmly once again. He gently closed his outstretched hand around hers and shook their intertwined hands as softly as he could.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Zoe," Tobias said, the warm smile still present.

Zoe was a bit taken back for a moment, her smile diminishing by a mere fraction. And it wasn't because of the gesture itself per se that surprised her. It was more the gentleness of it all. A trait she thought would be a stark contrast to the man's aspect. Quickly enough, Zoe's full smile returned as she recovered from her surprise before once again addressing Tobias.

"Incredible!Youareabletoactuallykeepupwithme!?Thatisnoeasyfeatmindyou!AllmyfriendsandfamilycanbutthatisbecauseIhavebeenwiththemforyearsandthemwithmesoit'.Howisitthatyouareableto-"

"Miss Zoe." Tobias kindly interrupted whilst raising his free hand in a halt motion. And if whether it was due to fear or indulgence that guided her, Zoe complied and stopped. "Yes, I am able to perceive your words, as incredibly fast as they may be. And though I am honored to know you are this excited to meet me, I ask that you not over exhaust yourself for my sake."

Bartholomew, Peter, Glynda and even Ozpin were surprised with Tobias' words. Though the latter two weren't as surprised seeing as they've already appealed to his gentler side...somewhat. But for the former two, who immediately dubbed the man as imposingly dangerous the moment they laid their eyes on him, needed a little bit more time to process and get their brains working again.

To Tobias, being kind, considerate, and gentle isn't really all that challenging, it practically comes naturally to him, much to the surprise of other people. For as short-lived, as his childhood was he had spent it being taught many lessons by his late parents. His father taught him in the ways of a fighter, a survivor, a..warrior. To be strong, resilient, unyielding, undaunted. And his mother, once a formidable force herself, taught him how to balance strength with tranquility. A lesson Tobias always held in high regard.

"My...oh my my my, " Zoe remarked in her ever-cheery tone. ", such a gentleman you are, Mr. Tobias."

"I aim to be as such Miss Zoe, and please, just call me Tobias," Tobias replied as he retracted his hand.

Zoe let out a small laugh, a pleasing kind of laugh before turning back to face the rest of the group behind her.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Zoe said before dashing quickly behind Bartholomew and pushing him towards Tobias. The man didn't even realize what had transpired until he was looking up towards Tobias' slightly surprised face. "Tobias, this is my twin brother Bartholomew Oobleck but he likes it if you address him with the title of doctor. Barty, meet Tobias. Say hi~!"

Bartholomew still felt wary of the man before him, however, he didn't want to show any untoward disrespect either. So with a deep intake of breath, he straightened his back along with his legs, slapped his hands firmly at his sides, and did a ninety-degree bow.

"A pleasure to meet you, good sir." Bartholomew greeted.

Without missing a beat, Tobias stepped back a pace and imitated the same processes Bartholomew did, with Tobias ending it with the same ninety-degree bow.

"Likewise, Doctor Bartholomew." Tobias greeted back.

Bartholomew stood back up as did Tobias. The return of his greeting was a pleasant shock for Bartholomew. He wouldn't go as far as to say he was no longer wary of him, but for now, he could afford to give Tobias the benefit of the doubt. Somewhat.

"And this," Zoe spoke up with a raised finger before dashing behind Peter and pushing him all the way towards Bartholomew's side, his feet skidding on the floor all the way. ", is my and Barty's best friend, Peter Port. Say hi~, Peter."

Despite the nerve-wracking fear looming within Peter, his pride as a man and a Huntsman allowed him to swallow it down. Or at least that's what he's trying to convince himself with.

"Ho-ho, it's nice to meet you, young man. As the fair dame said, I am Peter Port. The all-around Huntsman of Beacon Academy, if you ever require any aid, any at all, I'm your man." He said in a spunky tone as he placed his fists on his hips whilst maintaining his gaze on Tobias.

For a few seconds, about fifteen to be exact, only silence greeted the room as Tobias gazed back down at Peter, face set in a neutral look and unblinking as he studied him. It may have been seconds in real time, but for Peter, who had the full attention of those seemingly endless gray eyes, it felt like an eternity. The man was already sweating bullets under his attire and his legs were starting to rattle a little, and even if he could not see it for sure, he knew he had a sheen of sweat on his forehead now. Peter feared that if this were to go any longer he might actually keel over. The others, sans Zoe who still looked carefree as usual, tensed as the tension in the air grew thicker and thicker as the milliseconds ticked by. Once the fifteenth second passed, Tobias blinked and smiled warmly at the man. The surrounding tension earlier evaporating in an instant like it was never there in the first place.

"Yes, it is nice to meet you as well, Sir Peter." Said Tobias at last, prompting the addressee to let out an almost inaudible shaky breath as he awkwardly nodded in return.

"Okay then!" Zoe exclaimed cheerily with a clap, seemingly unaffected by the whole ordeal. "Next up we have-"

"We've met already, Zoe." Glynda interrupted the young woman before she could dash behind her.

In response to this Tobias gently nodded in affirmation towards Zoe.

"Well," Ozpin spoke up, grabbing the attention of everyone present. ", with the pleasantries now done, I would like for us to now begin our meeting."

Glynda and Peter moved and stood in rapt attention to the left with the Oobleck twins doing the same to the right whilst Tobias stood at the center, unmoving but focusing his attention on Ozpin all the same. The teachers, bar Zoe for reasons known only to her, were unnerved in having their backs turned to Tobias. Nevertheless, they fought off the slight knot in their stomachs as Ozpin addressed them.

"I'll make this as brief as I can," He started off. ", as you no doubt already know that for the past twenty years the state of Beacon Academy's teaching staff hasn't been..doing so well."

"With all due respect that's quite the understatement there Sir Ozpin," Oobleck commented with his sister and Peter nodding in agreement.

"Be that is it may, the fact that we are understaffed remains the same." Ozpin continued after nodding in understanding at Bartholomew's comment. "We have tried enlisting other Huntsmen into the Academy's ranks but were all..preoccupied..as is."

_"So this is your excuse,"_ Glynda remarked mentally putting two and two together as she thought back to the years before.

The Huntsman Academys have been understaffed for a long while now. Back then there used to be tens of other Huntsmen working alongside them at Beacon, teaching other various studies in the different year levels. They could still remember them. Their faces, their voices, their personalities. The people that they embraced as their colleges, their friends, were gone now. Over twenty years ago a war broke loose. A war that took all of Remnant by surprise. And just as the chaos of that same war started to subside, horde after horde of Grimm sieged the kingdoms. And so desperate were the councils of the four kingdoms to stem the tide, they started deploying every huntsman and huntress they could spare. First, it was the teachers, and once they were stretched too thin the council turned to the students, for which Ozpin alongside a certain Atlesian verbally tried to expunge the idea. Glynda had to actually use her powers that day to restraint Ozpin lest he might have ended up committing cold-blooded murder. But the councils could not be swayed, they executed their orders for which the students had no other choice but to follow. Too many were sent out and too many didn't come back.

In the end, Beacon, Atlas, Shade, and Haven changed themselves due to the amounts of loss they suffered. The four Academies established a new set of rules. Where once in each year there were over a hundred students, now there would only be around forty to fifty. The hundreds of potential students would have to undergo an initiation of sorts so that the academies could siphon out those with the most potential and send home the rest. As cruel as it may be to crush the dreams of the rest, it is better to train tens of exceptionally powerful individuals than having hundreds of spare meat for the councils to do as they please with them.

Glynda was about to speak up when Tobias' voice cut her off before she could.

"By "preoccupied" do you by any chance mean 'dead'?" He said in a tone that surprised Glynda yet again. It was sad in a way, almost as if...mournful. Even Ozpin's master poker face faltered for a moment before resuming its ever unreadable form.

Curiosity and bewilderment. Those were the two major driving forces that made Glynda look behind her to face Tobias. She wanted to know. To know what a man such as he would look like speaking in a voice that she thought did not befit him. And so that's what she did. She turned to face him. And she almost couldn't believe it.

The man's gray eyes that always seemed to pierce through her every time she looks at them were now dulled, softened. His ruggedly toned face was in an expression Glynda could clearly identify as sympathetic and something else she couldn't make sure.

Tobias, of course, could see Glynda gazing at him but chose to keep his focus on the green-garbed headmaster as he continued.

"It is not that difficult to deduce when your eyes and tone say it all, Ozpin." He said before letting out a slow and deep sigh. "I will not pretend and say "I understand fully" because I do not, not yet at least. But now..now at least I am starting to see why you need me."

He then proceeded to murmur..something..under his breath. It sounded foreign to Glynda and no doubt to the others as well. It was spoken in a language that she had never heard of before. But from what little that could be discerned, the word "hangal" was the most prominent to their hearing. Whatever that word meant was lost to them.

"What exactly does he mean by you needing his help, Ozpin?" Oobleck inquired.

"What I mean Doctor," Tobias answered before Ozpin could come up with a reply. ", is that Headmaster Ozpin here has made me a teacher in this Academy so that I may be of assistance to you and the children."

For Glynda and Ozpin this was nothing to be surprised about. What did surprise the two however was the bluntness of his approach on the matter. No fancy wordplays, no stalling, just straight to the point. For Bartholomew and Peter, they were surprised to know that Tobias would be teaching in the first place and wondered just what exactly he'd be teaching.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Zoe, the ever-vibrant woman she is, proclaimed happily as she clapped her hands in quick succession. "It'll be nice having a newcomer here. Don't get me wrong, I love these guys to a fault but it just gets a bit dull to see the same faces every day for years, you know?"

Tobias' simply nodded with a grunt. Whether that was a grunt of confirmation or not was anyone's guess.

"Yes..that is correct." Ozpin started off whilst carefully eyeing Tobias. "As Tobias said I have taken the liberty of making him a teacher here, or to be precise, a deputy assistant teacher for all of you."

Needless to say, the Beacon professors were still taking the time to process the revelation before them. All except for Zoe who was already merrily playing out all the live demonstrations she could perform with Tobias' help.

"Ozpin" Tobias spoke up, his voice bringing the pondering individuals out of their thoughts for now. "Now that they are here, would you mind continuing where you left off on our..discusuon..earlier."

"Ah yes..that" Ozpin responded with a nod.

He kept his eyes on Tobias but from the corner of his vision, he could see Glynda eyeing him for an explanation. And so when it was apparent that no one would move to interject, Ozpin began.

"As I've said to you before, we are in need of assistance regarding the teaching of the students. We've been making due for the past few years but it's been getting harder and harder as of late. I've stepped up multiple times already to assist them in their subjects but my help is not infinite. The life of a headmaster is quite the task already and I am more than ready to bear the responsibilities that come with it, however, being a headmaster and helping in other subject matters has been taxing. I can no longer afford to split my attention as a teacher and a headmaster, as much as it irritates me so. And the damned council breathing down my neck hasn't been all too helpful." He muttered that last part under his breath.

"How exactly did this come to be?" Tobias asked.

When Ozpin didn't respond right away, Tobias decided to elaborate some more.

"This academy is huge, a thousand acres worth of land, give or take. And you told me that you only have forty or so students in all of the four-year levels. So there only about a hundred and sixty or so students in all. You can easily have three times that number and yet you do not. Why?"

As Ozpin was about to answer, Tobias raised his right hand in a stopping gesture and continued.

"And please, do not resort to sugar-coating your words. Acting like the dead have not passed is far more of an insult than saying they have. What I want to know is how things ended up this..dire..in the first place. Nothing more, nothing less. "

The professors all took a quick glance at Tobias before looking to Ozpin and awaiting his response. When a few seconds had passed with the gray-haired headmaster eyeing Tobias intently, he let out a weary sigh before answering.

"Two decades ago the entirety of the criminal underworld went up in arms against the four kingdoms. Simultaneously. The attack was so sudden and swift that the councils of each kingdom could only order their huntsmen academies to send every huntsman and huntress they could. I was forced to send all of mine. Glynda here along with Peter and the twins can attest to that."

Tobias eyed each of the people mentioned with an unreadable look. Once he did that, he nodded slowly right after.

"But that's not all." Ozpin picked up once more with another weary sigh. "Even with the forces of all the four academies along with the kingdom's military, the might of the underworld empire proved to be just as strong. And so, in Vale, in Mistral, in Vacuo and in Atlas, the war raged on. The war that lasted only from dusk till dawn."

Ozpin gazed up at the taller man with an intense look. A look that the Beacon professors remember well. It was the same look he had when the crack of dawn showed the aftermath of the war in Vale, with the kingdom nearly all in flames and thousands upon thousands of bodies lay everywhere, lifeless and cold.

"I sent sixty of my people to war and even the ones that had just graduated. People that I came to love and cherish through the years of this life. And only four out of all of them came back."

Glynda, Peter and the twins had their heads bowed as they listened somberly to Ozpin's retelling. They once again felt that weight in their hearts whenever their minds turned to that day twenty years ago. And who wouldn't really? The Vale Huntsman forces totaled up to more than a hundred and sixty combined with the newly graduated huntsmen. And out of all those hundred and sixty only Glynda, Peter, and the twins were left standing.

All the while the four of them were busy flashing back to the past, Ozpin studied Tobias' look. He expected him to silently scoff, to look completely uninterested, to look indifferent to it all. What he got instead was a surprise. The man that Ozpin sensed as a deadly force to be reckoned with, looked absolutely crestfallen. It was, for Ozpin, a sight to behold.

_"What an interesting one you are, Tobias."_ Ozpin thought.

"And unfortunately, it didn't end there." He said, bringing back the four professors to focus. "When the dust just barely started to settle, the Grimm came charging."

"Those monsters of darkness you spoke of?" Tobias asked.

"Yes. The monsters that 'everyone' knows of." Ozpin answered the taller man as he quickly flicked his eyes towards Peter and the twins. And Tobias figured out the message between the lines.

_Don't let them know you're not from here._

"All the negativity from the war attracted them. And when they came, they came in hordes." Ozpin continued before Peter and the twins could wonder more about Tobias' question. "With the armies of the kingdoms exhausted and hardly any professional huntsmen left we the headmasters were left with no other choice but to send the students."

"You sent 'children' to war?" Tobias questioned with an edge seeping to his voice.

"As I said we had no other choice." Answered back Ozpin with just as much vindication. "The militaries, even Atlas', were reduced to a heap and the Grimm numbered to the hundreds of thousands and were bent on destroying the kingdoms. If we had done nothing, all of Remnant would have fallen."

Tobias could only clench his teeth tightly underneath his scowl. Of course, he understood their choice. He understood why they needed to do what they did. They needed to fight back or else they would have all died. And for better or worse, those children had the power to fight so they were called to fight. But that didn't mean he was proud of the fact. It was damned times like these that reminded Tobias of a passage that his late mother had imparted to him when he was a child.

_"Those with strength are cursed to fight. Whether it is to fight for good or to fight for evil, we who bear strength fight on all the same."_

_"Damn Mama, when you and Papa told me there was life beyond the stars I did not expect it to be as shitty as ours." _Tobias thought wistfully whilst deeply sighing away his scowl.

"How many were there in all?" Tobias asked the Headmaster. "The children I mean. How many did you send?"

Ozpin hesitated for a split seconds before answering.

"All the year levels that were under my command tallied up to the thousand, and the same could be said for the rest of the academies."

"And...how many made it back?" Tobias asked hesitantly but already dreaded the answer.

"One-fourth of my forces made it back. Including these four." Ozpin answered in finality.

"I see," Tobias said simply with eyes downcast.

"And as you've deduced, the academies that were once mighty have been reduced to what it is now. With the councils tasking newly graduated huntsmen to work right after graduation, we haven't been able to hire new teachers. And thus the lack of staff." He sighed before continuing. "I know that in time the Huntsman academies will return to their former glory, but I'm afraid that with the way things are now, its full restoration is still far away from grasps."

For a whole minute and more, everyone was silent. To the netizens of Remnant, they took this as a time to once again mourn for their fallen. But for the man from another world, he kept quiet in respect for the living and the dead. For he as well was no stranger to death and loss.

"W-well now," Zoe, shakily spoke up with a small sniff as she tried her best to smile for everyone's sake. ", that's enough doom and gloom for today people."

She looked directed her smile to the rest of the Beacon staff, despite the ache in her heart. She then turned towards Tobias and walked up to the giant man, her pleasant smile present none the less. And in an action that not even Tobias expected, she grabbed his left hand with both of hers and clutched them tightly. And when she struggled to bring it up, Tobias raised it for her until it was within Zoe's eye level.

"Tobias." She started off with a giddy laugh. "So sorry you had to hear all of that death N' stuff back there, Ol' Ozpin can be a real downer sometimes let me tell you." She let out another laugh before continuing.

"Listen, I don't know you all that well and neither do you know me well, but I like to believe that we'll get along just fine. Ozpin seems to trusts you, seeing as he actually went as far to tell you that sob story, so I'm willing to go the mile to trust you too."

She let go of his hand with a nod and stepped back. Tobias, enthralled by the young woman's display absentmindedly nodded back. As he did so, Zoe went back to her brother's side and nudged him.

"Come now Barty where are your manners?" She half-whispered to him. "Go on and give our new workmate a warm greeting."

Bartholomew hesitated for a few seconds before intaking a huge amount of air through his nose and walked up to Tobias, albeit a bit stiffly.

"Tobias," He started off. ", I expect great things from you, sir. I'll be looking forward to working with you."

"Likewise, Doctor Oobleck," Tobias replied, not wanting to be rude.

"Glyn?" Zoe turned to the deputy headmistress.

"As I've said, we've already been acquainted." She answered simply.

"Peter?" Zoe inquired at the direction of the portly man.

The man himself was still feeling partially queasy from his earlier experience with Tobias, but as usual, his pride gave him the boost to smile and jollily replied.

"Yes, I as well expect great things from you lad. May your years here in Beacon prove to be fruitful."

"Yes," Tobias replied with a small smile. ", I hope so as well."

And for reasons that eluded him, Peter suddenly possessed the bravery to take it even further.

"Splendid! And you know, we should commemorate this occasion with a spar. I'd like to see what you can dish out, young man."

_"PETER!" _Glynda shrieked on the inside. _"Of all the times for your pride to peak, now has to be worst of them." _

Glynda was already well aware of Peter's tendencies to show off. She had seen it throughout the years of her teaching. It was something that the man developed due to his upbringing. He had grown up wanting to become a mighty huntsman, and when he did, he made sure to let 'everyone' know. He wasn't arrogant by any means. But whenever his pride would peak it always spelled trouble and an impending headache for Glynda. And right now, she feared that damned pride of his was possibly going to get him severely injured, or worse, killed.

"Peter-" Glynda started off.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Only to be cut short by Ozpin.

The blonde woman snapped her head towards the gray-haired headmaster so fast she ended up feeling a dull pain blooming in her neck. But she ignored the possibility of it being sprained as she focused on glaring at Ozpin. But never the less, the man avoided her ever piercing glare and continued.

"I was already planning on having you show our staff what you can do. Give them a good measure of you for future references."

"Ozpin..." Glynda half whispered half hissed. But the man in question didn't budge an inch.

"Well, what say you, Tobias? Will you fight them?" Ozpin questioned further.

Peter, the twins, and Glynda looked to Tobias for his answer. A few seconds passed before the giant man gave it.

"Sure."

* * *

**CHAPTER END**

**A/N: Now-now, before you guys start, yes this is partially a cliff hanger and no I am not deliberately doing this so I can poke fun of you guys. Nope. Definitely not.**

**Anyways, let's move on to the more serious notes.**

**First, let's start with my error in chapter four. You guys remember Tobias' dialogue where he lands at Beacon and he talks about knowing the "sea" is south of him due to the smell of it? Well, I'm sorry to say guys but that was not a sea. According to the map of the kingdom of Vale, that huge body of water that Beacon Academy is facing is actually a freakin river. So sorry if I got that wrong. I'll make do with it for now and rectify it in future chapters.**

**Secondly, in this chapter, you've no doubt noticed that the "one day war" that transpired 20 years ago in the world of Remnant isn't an actual historical event that transpired in the show. That is because of the advice my little sis gave to me. It honestly opened my mind to new possibilities. This is how our conversation went [Translated as best as I could:**

**[Little Sis: "Hey bro, is your fanfic just going to follow the shows CANON storyline?"**

**[Me: "Yeah, why?"**

**[Little Sis: "Urgh, but that's going to be so boring!"**

**[Me: "What makes you say that?"**

**[Little Sis: "Because it's going to be predictable. Think about it bro, the people who are going to read your fic are no doubt RWBY watchers and are already familiar with the show and its story. So if your fic follows the same path, then it won't matter if the story is seen through the eyes of never before seen character. It'll be just the same as a retelling."**

**[Me: "So what do you suggest I do?**

**[Little Sis: "I suggest that you add more storylines to your fic. Ones that are different from the show but don't derive too far from CANON.**

**[Me: "So just do some add ons to the CANON storyline?**

**[Little Sis: "Yeah exactly like that."**

**[Me: "Okay then."**

**And thus began the horrid rewriting. This chapter was meant to come out two and a half weeks ago but due to the new idea that my little sis had, I decided to scrap the original one and make three more before ultimately choosing this one. It was such a chore to do too. It was somewhere around a mind-boggling (for me) 12k words for the first two and another 10K for the third. And of course, this one being a close 8K. But oh well, what's done is done after all and I must keep on writing.**

**Thirdly, you've also no doubt noticed the amounts of exposition and background to some of the characters. Yes, the reason for this relates to the reason of having more storylines. And also because we barely know anything solid about Glynda, Peter and Bartholomew so I decided to make a background for them. Oh and speaking of Oobleck, ****I hope you like the new OC I've added to the fic. Yes, she will be explained in due time and yes she will have a major role in the grand scheme of things.**

**And yeah, I guess that's it for now.**

**All right! This has been Chapter five of RWBY: ANEW, I hope you guys enjoyed it**** and if you guys have anything to say about it feel free to share what's on your mind and comment.**

**Next chapter estimation: Somewhere around July **


	7. NOTIFICATION

**Hello, people of the literary world. Starco4Life here bringing to you some...news. Well, it's more of a rant actually but yeah, still news. I'm sorry if you expected an update but don't worry, that's coming soon. But first, I've got to address this matter.**

**I'm going to be making another story. Yep, I know. Quite the shocker. **

**T****he main plot of this story came to me in the form of a drunken stupor on the thirteenth of June and has since been glued to my mind. You see, in order for you guys to better understand I will tell you a short summary of how this all came to be and what drove me to start writing this.**

**[Rant Warning: Critical]**

**Just a few days prior to my drunken stupor day, I was browsing the RWBY sections of Archives of our own when I stumbled upon a story whose title caught my eye. Its called;**

**"Emerald Rose" by the author**** KryHeart_Andy.**

**If you guys want the exact details of that story's synopsis and want to give the said story a read then by all means. But here's my take on it; ****It warped my entire world view of RWBY and essentially screwed over my moral compass.**

**I'm a simple guy, and I like simple things because simple is understandable and that in turn means it is bearable. But when that simple thing gets turned 360 degrees 360 times my mind shuts down and when it powers back on, everything is different. Everything is out of whack and I get pissed.**

**Emerald Rose did that to me. I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. In fact, I yeeted that story to the trash bin at MACH three speed when I reached the chapter where Ruby got "down and dirty" with Ozpin. F*mothering 'Ozpin', people. The dude who is most likely thousands of years old. And that's not all, oh no, that is not all. You guys know Qrow Branwen right? The drunken badass Huntsman that is Yang and Ruby's uncle? Well, guess what? Instead of beating the crap out of Ozpin for what he did, as any other uncle would do. He instead joins in the "fun". Why you may ask? Because he's "in love" with Ruby or some other reason. Feel free to correct me once you've read it for yourselves because I sure as the sun is shiny, am not going back to that.**

**But wait! There's more. Oh yeah, there's more all right. Aside from the mind-boggling sexual relationship that Qrow has with Ruby, he as it turns out is also sexually involved with Ozpin himself. To put it crassly, these two have played butthole roulette. And though I've stopped reading it, I know-I just know-that they included Ruby in that. The tags of that story make painfully obvious.**

**Now, at this point, you're probably wondering; ****"What the heck are you trying to say here, pal?"**

**Well, let me just say this to make things clear;**

** I. Am. Pissed.**

**And I have been pissed since the day I deleted that story. Only now its reached its peak. After a month of bottling it all down, I've finally come to the point my psychiatrist calls "the detonation." And before you ask, no, I don't hate the author. But I'm not especially fond of them either. **

**They just did too much, changed too much. I mean come on, people! Qrow is basically the surrogate Uncle of Yang and Ruby. Before Tai got out of his depressed funk and before Yang was old enough to take care of them and before Ruby could even walk. He was there. He raised Ruby as best as he could. He's family. Blood-related or not, I don't give a damn. He is, and always will be Ruby's Uncle Qrow. Not her lover, not her future husband, not the father of her babies. Her Uncle! Nothing more and nothing less. That's it.**

**But I can't damn well do crap about that now, can I? It's already completed. The Game of Thrones meets flower in the attic with a sprinkle of fifty shades and dark souls on the side that is Emerald Rose, is up there on the net and its gonna stay there. For a very long time, I know that much.**

**But I'm not just gonna forget about this. It might just be my teenage hormones acting up again or whatever, I will still go through with this. This story will serve as my way of ventilating the stress I've accumulated from reading Emerald Rose. And I guess it'll be another series of writing training as well.**

**[Rant: Over]**

**Now to the plot. As I've said in my rant, I disagree with the way things played out in Emerald Rose. So in this story, it will take place in a world where those nausea-inducing events transpired but with my take on the consequences. And let's just say, I'm gonna be killing off a..few..people. **

**Yes, this is basically just me exacting my metaphorical vengeance on Emerald Rose. ****Tell me what you guys think when it's up on the net. I'll be uploading it on the same day the new chapter comes out for RWBY: ANEW. Or maybe even sooner. Depends on how pissed off I am still. ****So yeah, that's what I've got in store for you guys.**

**This has been Starco4Life, stay chill folks. Kinda hypocritical coming from me, I know. But I mean it all the same.**


	8. Chapter 6: Gather for combat

**A/N:** **Hello-hello folks. Heres chapter number six.**

**And a quick little heads up guys, my new story us up on the net now. It's called; "Unforgiven." ****It's the one with the image of a skull shrouded in a green aura. Tell me what you guys think about it so far..**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY and honestly I never will lol, also all other references that you'll see belong to their rightful owners. I am by no means a plagiarist, I am merely getting inspiration from them.**

**The events, characters, and firms depicted in this story are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual firms, is purely coincidental.**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

**Location: Beacon ****Academy grounds. **

**Date: July 1st**

**Time: 9:47 AM**

**(Ruby's POV)**

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always loved the thought of being a Huntress and fighting the forces of evil. Not because I want fame or fortune or anything like that. No, the main reason is that I grew up being taught to be a helping hand for other people. My mom was the first one to teach that lesson to me. I was just a kid back then but I understood her words. And, when life took her too soon I made sure to live up to that lesson in any way I could. Then once my dad went into a state of depression and Yang stepped in to take care of us, I carried with me still my mother's will to help other people in need as best as I could. But normal eight-year-old me could only do so much. That's why, when I turned twelve and my dad finally broke free from his depression, thanks to some questionable drunken help from Uncle Qrow, I begged both of them to unlock my aura and train me to be a huntress just like they did Yang. Of course, Dad being the ever worrywart he is, profusely denied my first attempts. But with time and constant three-way nagging from me, Yang and Qrow, he eventually relented. When my aura was finally unlocked, my semblance came soon after.

That's when the grueling training began. When they figured out that my semblance was speed based and it went hand in hand with the amount of aura I had, they set up a strict regime for me to train both. First up was my body. They said that I needed to keep myself fit and in shape so that my body could withstand the strain of moving at high speeds. So they had me do all kinds of physical exercises ranging from calisthenics to weights. And they even charted a cookie-free diet for me, which I abhorred with a passion by the way. Luckily I was able to much on a few every now and then without their notice.

And they still don't suspect a thing.

At the same time, they had me do aura meditation, which was pretty boring honestly. It was an age-old aura strengthening technique where you would meditate and focus on constantly keeping your aura activated for a long period of time. It was effective in increasing my aura potency but it sucked because I had to endure doing absolutely nothing for hours on end.

And then there was weapon training. This was when the idea of my beloved baby Crescent Rose came to be. It all started off when Uncle Qrow first told me how his mecha shift weapon worked. His was a scythe that shifted into a great sword when contracted and could even be folded some more to a carriable size. It was, at that time, a complex machine that was more clockwork-like than the standard machine-like weapons of most Huntsmen. Sufisticsted as it was, it became the design mold for my weapon. It took a while, what with all the plans I made and scrapping of most said plans, but after going through tons of trials and errors, and also a..few..incidents with the house almost burning down, I eventually completed my darling Crescent Rose.

And straight after its completion, I immediately had Uncle Qrow teach me in the ways of scythe-wielding or as he likes to call it, the Reaper's Style.

And that's how my life went for the past three years. Training, studying, eating, and then some more training, living life on Patch, training, tinkering on Crescent Rose, more training, doing what I always do, and of course, training. Everything that I did, I did to make myself into an awesome Huntress, like Mom. And once I graduated Signal, I'd take the first bus to Beacon Academy. Spend four more years training and finding special new upgrades for my baby and possibly-maybe even find a boyfriend. One that won't get chased away by Yang hopefully. A simple plan. An awesome plan.

It's just too bad it got dumped right to the trash bin_._ The reminder made me sigh again on the inside.

And ironically enough, my helping nature is what caused my plans to go bunk in the first place. Oh, Mom would be proud, and Dad and Uncle Qrow. Even Yang is. But still, it just feels so..surreal being here. And it oddly feels like cheating too. I mean, everyone else here rightfully finished their five-year-long education at their primary combat schools whereas I got a free pass and skipped my last two. It feels as if I don't deserve coming here. Like I don't belong here. Heck, that crabby rich girl already figured me out, who knows how long until everyone here in this Academy thinks that way.

And once again my mind goes back to that single question I've been wondering about for the past hour or so.

_"What if I hadn't stepped in?" _

If I hadn't stepped in to help fight those thugs, then I wouldn't have caught the attention of Headmaster Ozpin and I wouldn't be here, attending Beacon Academy literally two years early. And I'd be back on Patch, waking up to a freshly prepared sunny side up breakfast by Dad, playing with Zwei for a few minutes, greeting good morning to everyone I pass as I zoom towards Signal Academy, and life would carry on as I've known it to.

_"But Roman Torchwick would be dead though." _My mind rightfully fired back.

"I know." I unknowingly said out loud.

"What's the matter, Rubes?" Yang, my graciously well-endowed blonde sister, asked from beside me.

"Its nothing Yang," I responded with a small smile and a shake of my head. ", I was just thinking."

In response to this, she wrapped her arm over me in a half hug as we continued our walk around Beacon. We had set out an hour ago and had spent the time sightseeing in the academy. The place was huge, like really huge. In some parts, we could see lush forests parks filled with beautiful flora. We also passed some monuments dedicated to the founders of the Academy. And right now we were passing through another tree-lined pathway.

"Whatcha thinking about?" A beat passed before she continued. "Is it about Beacon?"

Yes...somewhat, I thought but didn't voice out. But apparently, my silence was answer enough for her because the next thing she did was let out a sigh. A sigh that sounded like she knew exactly what I was thinking.

"Look, Rubes, you earned the right to be here in Beacon Academy." She started off and lightly shaking my shoulder in reassurance. "I mean, look at what you did. You stopped a dust robbery and beat a bunch of criminal goons all by yourself. That's super cool right there. Even the Headmaster of Beacon was impressed."

Oh, Yang. She always did love to cheer me up. Even through rough and tumble times, she would always find ways to make me smile. And that's why she's the best big sister in all of Remnant. But...

"It still feels kinda unfair, Yang." I reasoned as I leaned into her half-hug some more. "I feel like I cheated my way here to Beacon rather than earn it. I know I should be happy, and I am, but I just feel bad for the others who had to go through so much to get here and I got in for free."

"That's crazy talk Rubes." Yang fired back as she stopped and moved to stand in front of me, her hands on her hips. "You got in because A. you kicked evil butt, which I'm willing to bet most of the others here haven't even done yet, and B. you wowed the headmaster. The headmaster, Ruby! The guy must have already seen a ton of other huntsmen and huntresses in his time but you managed to wow him. And you're fifteen, Rubes. Ozpin already knows how awesome you are and that you're awesome enough to attend Beacon, even if you are two years early."

"You really think so?" I asked, looking up at her lilac eyes.

"No Rubes," She said with a smile as she pulled my head towards her rather large bosom in a gentle hug. "I know so."

I hugged her back and nestled into her chest, a smile slowly forming on my face.

Yang Xiao Long. My sister from a different mother. The person that did her best to fill in the hole that my mother left. And strange as it may sound to other people, I've always felt like she's been both a sister and a mother to me.

For seven years. Seven long years. She was there for me and Dad the whole way. Long before Qrow came and helped Dad out of his funk, Yang was the one by his side helping him cope as much as she could. And with me, she doubled that effort. Of course, she had a lot of ups and downs along the way, especially in the cooking department, but she still made due and kept ongoing. I know I'll love my mom for as long as I live, but I'll love Yang as my sister and as my mom just as much.

"You're the very best Yang," I said as she withheld her hug just enough for me to look up at her again.

She smiled at this and fully disengaged her hug on me, but chose to keep her hands on my shoulders. She looked down on me with a look in her eyes. A look I've come to know whenever Yang's mom mode would activate.

"Now, enough with all that "I'm not worthy" nonsense. We've still got a whole day ahead of us and an academy to explore. So no more negative talk, all right Rubes?"

I couldn't help but beam happily up at Yang. Her going all mom mode on me really did put a smile on my face. It evoked the same feeling I had when Mom was still alive_._ Her hugs felt like Mom's did, so were her kisses, her sayings, and even when cooking, though the latter took some time to perfect. But never the less, Yang-mom never failed to brighten up my mood. No matter how sour or gloomy it was. And right now, at this very moment, that notion couldn't be truer than ever. All the troubling thoughts that I had just had a minute ago with Beacon, fitting in, and my worth in it all, was banished to the back of my mind. And it's all the thanks to this wonderful person that is Yang.

"Yes, mom~.." I chirped playfully at her, my smile not waning one bit.

"Ah ah ah, what's the right word~?" She wagged her finger from side to side with a smirk.

I chuckled at Yang's all too familiar playful manner and rolled my eyes a bit before correcting myself.

"Yes, Yom~," I said whilst putting my hands together and smiling warmly at the blonde before me.

That's what Yang liked to be called whenever she'd go mom mode on us. I was the first one to comply with her request because not only did it sound cool combining her name with the word mom, it also made Yang really happy to be called as such. Like she was really proud of it. Dad and Uncle Qrow laughed it off at first as simple childlike humor but quickly followed suit when Yang seriously threatened to crush their..precious jewels..as she put it if they didn't do so. Looking back at it now I can safely say that it was at that moment Yang's maternal instincts peaked and had stuck to her throughout the years. But hey, I'm not complaining.

And, the moment her special nickname came out of my mouth she immediately let out a noise that I've long cataloged as a "happy mom" noise. To put it into words, it sounded closely similar to that of a hamster's squeak but in a prolonged manner. I've heard it come from other moms before. Whenever their babies would do something cute they'd let out the same kind of noise.

"Oh come here you adorable munchkin." With speeds as fast as her punches she snatched me up in yet another hug.

Yang had always been compassionate. A loving type of person. And a really mean hugger. Other people see her as a flamboyant, flirtatious, easy going and adventurous tomboy. She may be all that on the outside but Dad, Uncle Qrow and I know the truth. We've seen the real Yang in action and let me just say, people will likely gawk at the revelation of how different she really is from her bad girl persona.

"Yang..." I squeaked out, with how hard she was hugging me it was very much warranted. "you're..oof..hugging me too..tight."

"Whoops, sorry 'bout that." She said with a laugh as she let me down from her hug lock.

She waited, her hands on her hips, as I retained much-needed air in my lungs.

"You all right now Rubes?" She asked.

"Yep," I responded with a smile. ", though you could stand to take it easy on the hugs, Yang."

She laughed her hearty laugh at this before replying.

"Nope can do little sis. You know I've got a soft spot for cuteness."

_"Oh, I know all right." _I mentally answered while thinking back to the times Yang nearly hugged to death someone or something adorable.

Like that one time, Dad bought her a dragon plushy and she ended up hugging the stuffing out of the poor thing. Zwei wisely would go into hiding whenever her cute cravings would come up.

"Come on Renny! Pump those legs of yours or else we're gonna miss it! " A bubbly voice sounded off from behind us.

Yang and I turned around to see a ginger-haired girl just a few feet from us, she wasn't moving from the spot she was standing on but it was clear she was excited about something and couldn't wait to get to where she wanted to go. The repetitive hopping kinda made it a dead give away.

"Nora! Don't just bolt off like that!" Another voice sounded off in the distance. And with a squint, we could see a teenage boy running towards the ginger girl.

"But Ren! We're gonna miss the battle!" The ginger said excitedly to the boy once he got close enough to her.

"Nora, first of all, its a spar not a battle, and second, you don't even know where it's happening. We need to ask for directions or else you could get lost." The boy answered back.

"Pfft, tomato-tomato, Ren. And I don't need directions, I know where I'm going. I can smell that giant as clear as I can smell pancakes." The girl retorted rather flippantly.

This made the boy let out a sigh and slump forward a tad bit. And not a second later his eyes turned towards Yang and me.

"Look, let's go ask them for help." He said as he pointed towards us and walked closer.

"Argh..." The girl drawled out. "...fine. But only because they're new friends."

Once the duo was just feet from us they stopped. Now with them up close, I could make out their details more clearly.

The ginger-haired girl had turquoise colored eyes and had a pale white complexion. She also looked to be as tall as I was, give or take. Her attire was like a mix and match of some sort with different colors and themes. She was wearing a collared black vest that ended at her waist. Over her vest was a type of chest armor that started in the middle of her shoulder and neck and ended at the waist. Underneath her vest, was a sleeveless white top that had a tiny heart-shaped cut over her chest combined with white detached sleeves on each of her arms. On her hands were matching fingerless gloves. She's also sporting a pink skirt that reached all the way to her mid-thigh. She had a mixture of pink and white shoes that had pink-colored laces. And, to top it all off she was carrying with her a hammer. It would've caught my attention more if I didn't instead decide to study the boy next to her.

He looked to be Mistralean, or at least that's why I think. His black hair looked to be tied behind him in what I can only guess is a ponytail. There's even a magenta-colored streak on the left side of his hair. And he had eyes of the same color. He was wearing dark green long-sleeved tailcoat that was buttoned diagonally and had gold and black trimmings that went down the right side of his torso and formed a black collar. His cuffs were also a shade of pink. Lastly, he wore lightly tanned pants and black shoes.

"Hello, my name is Lie Ren. And this is my best friend, Nora Valkyrie." The boy, now known to be as Lie Ren, introduced while bowing and gesturing to the girl beside him, who I also now know is Nora Valkyrie.

"Hiya there!" Nora greeted excitedly in a near shouting tone whilst rapidly waving towards us.

Yang, being more socially adept than me, responded first.

"Hey." She greeted back to them with a wave of her own along with a toothy smile. "Nice to meet the two of you. I'm Yang, Yang Xiao Long. And this is my little sister, Ruby Rose."

"Hi~." I greeted the two with a pleasant smile of my own.

"Now if it's not too much trouble, I was wondering if you two-"

"-would like to come to see the big battle with us!" Nora quickly cut off Ren mid-sentence with an excited shriek. Said boy also let out a weak sigh at the interruption. But he neither looked mad or bothered by it. Instead, he looked calm and composed as if he had expected something like this to happen.

"Nora, for the last time, it is not a battle. It's a spar." He said evenly.

"And for the last time Renny," Nora tapped Ren's nose with her pointing finger whilst softly muttering the word "boop". ", it doesn't matter what its called. If its a fight with that giant man in it, then it's going to be battle. A battle of the ages!"

"Wait, what're you guys talking about exactly?" Yang took the question right out of my mouth.

The word sparring and battle had caught my curiosity at first but what really got my attention was the "giant man" part. I didn't want to be quick to assume but the first thing that came to my mind was the giant form of Professor Tobias.

"You guys didn't hear?" Ren calmly asked us.

"Hear what exactly?" This time it was me that asked. I already had an idea forming in my mind as to what this whole thing was about but I needed to know for sure.

"The big battle! You guys don't know about it?" Nora exclaimed.

Yang and I locked eyes for a few seconds before turning back to the two teenagers in front of us and giving them a head shake whilst simultaneously answering "nope".

"A team of second-year students came by and told us about a spar happening between the Professors and that they were ordered to invite the freshmen to come with them and watch. And, we would likely already be there with them by now if 'somebody' had decided not to bolt all of a sudden." Ren, the far more collected of the two as I've noticed, explained whilst gesturing towards Nora.

"We don't need 'em, Ren, trust me. I know exactly where I'm going." Nora defended with a confident toothy smile and pointing to herself with her thumb.

"A spar between the Professors huh?" Yang said.

"Yep! And we've gotta move it now or else it'll be over by the time we get there. You guys coming with?" Nora said to us, her excited smile somehow getting bigger and bigger.

"Well, a fight does sound fun to watch. And if it's between the Profs then it's bound to be twice as fun." Yang said while punching her fists together. An act she does whenever she gets pumped up.

And in a way, I was too. I had sparred with Dad and Uncle Qrow a number of times before but I know they were holding back on me. I've seen video presentations of Huntsmen battling one another back at Signal. But a fight between professional huntsmen giving it their all and seeing it in person? I'd come and watch that any day. And if that wasn't interesting enough, Professor Tobias was going to be there.

"Ooh~! A battle between Huntsmen. Its gonna be so cool! So, where should we go?" I asked.

"Oh, well I thought you guys would-"

"Don't worry friends! Nora here knows exactly where to go. Follow me!" Nora exclaimed and once again cut Ren off before sprinting away from us.

"Uhm..." I slowly started off as we watched fixated while Nora got farther and farther away from us. "...should we follow her?"

At this Ren let out a chuckle and a shake of his head. He looked to be amused by Nora's rather..eccentirc..antics. The two of them must be really close.

"Yes, yes we should." He said with a smile.

"Hey come on slowpokes! Times a wasting!" Nora called back to us, already at least somewhere around thirty meters away from us.

And just like that, we took off running. And when we were close enough to her, Nora once again started her sprint towards wherever.

"Has she always been this..." I began but seemed to have trouble finding the right words to say as we kept up with Nora's speed.

"Excitable? Quirky? Strange?" Ren listed off for me. He didn't sound offended when he spoke.

And thank the gods for that. I was already on Miss whitener's bad side, and I really didn't need to be in anyone else's. And Ren seemed to pick up on my pondering because he let out a small laugh before addressing me.

"I can see you're troubled. Don't be. You were just curious after all." He started. "And, to answer your question, it's a no. Back when we were kids she was kind of the shy type, but as we got older she got more and more bubbly. And this is just how Nora is now, an unpoppable bubble of joy and excitement mixed in with eccentricity and quirkiness."

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at his words. The way Ren described Nora spoke volumes about the two. He sounded so genuine, so content. It was kinda awe-inducing honestly.

_"Yep, these two are close all right." _

"She's turning," Yang spoke up. Making me look away from Ren and towards the front where Nora had indeed turned to the left.

"Does she actually know where she's going?" Yang asked Ren.

"Well, more or less.." He replied hesitantly. "The thing is, Nora is actually pretty good in tracking down someone or something using their scent."

"Like bloodhounds?" I said suggestively.

"Well yeah, but she claimed that hers is better," Ren replied.

"Does it always work?" Yang inquired.

"Well-"

"We've arrived!" Nora shouted, cutting Ren off once more as she stopped in front of the entryway of a forest.

Ren, Yang, and I made our way closer to where Nora had stopped. And it seemed to be indeed where we needed to go, seeing as there were other teenagers making their way inside the forest.

And speaking of teenagers, there was a familiar blonde-haired boy walking among the masses in the distance to our left.

"Jaune!" I tried calling out to see if it actually was him. And as it turns out, I was right.

Once I had called out his name, he quickly swerved his head around and frantically searched wherever.

"Jaune!" I called to him again, this time waving so that he could better see me. "Jaune, over here! To your right!"

A second later his head turned towards my direction and his face lit up in recognition as soon as his eyes fell on me.

"Ruby!" He hollered with a wave and a bright smile.

He then proceeded to jog towards me, his smile still plastered on his face.

"Ruby!" Jaune happily called out again as he got closer to us. "It's nice to see you here."

"Ahem, Rubes?" Yang coughed making me turn around and face her. "You plan on introducing us to your friend?"

"Oh right, sorry." I apologized meekly to not only Yang but Ren and Nora. I coughed into my fist before addressing Jaune again.

"Jaune, this my sister, Yang Xiao Long," I said gesturing towards Yang.

"Sup." She replied simply with a smile and a two-fingered salute.

"H-Hi there. I-I'm Jaune Arc. " He stammered a bit as he weakly waved back at Yang. And unsurprisingly, I didn't fail to notice his eyes glance down towards Yang's chest. Thrice.

But I'm not gonna worry. Yang always did like showing off. Whether if it was her strength, her skills, or her blessed assets, she'd flaunt them whenever she could. I think she called it tactical intimidation once. And looking at the blushing mess that was Jaune, I'm guessing it's still as effective as ever.

_"Well, time to save him before he drowns in the sight of Yang." _

"Jaune," I said as I waved my hand in front of his face. Which thankfully brought him out from wherever the mind of a boy goes to when they get a good peek at Yang's lower orbs.

"I'd like you to meet our new friends, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie." I introduced the two teens beside me.

"Its a pleasure," Ren said with a friendly smile and offering his hand to shake.

"Oh, likewise," Jaune said back with a friendly smile of his own as he shook Ren's hand.

And just as Jaune let go of Ren's hand, Nora shot forward and shook it rapidly up and down.

"Hi, new friend!" She said..er..exclaimed as she continued to shake Jaune's hand with so much force his arm along with his body was being raised up and down.

"Hi..there..nice..to meet you...can I..have my hand back...please.." Jaune pleaded as his form was repeatedly shaking violently.

"Nora.." Ren chided softly to her.

With that, she let go of Jaune, her smile still present and stepped back to stand beside Ren as Jaune tried his best to get his bearings together, which he looked to be falling at right now.

"You all right there Jaune?" I asked with a tad of worry as the boy was wobbling a bit.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine..just give me..urgh..give me a minute..or two..oof.." He responded faintly as he bent over forwards with his hands on his knees.

"If your feeling nauseous I suggest that you stand upright," Ren advised as he made his way beside Jaune. "Crunching the stomach while your feeling nauseated will only make thing worse and increase the likeliness of vomiting."

"Oh uh, thank you," Jaune replied still looking a little green as Ren helped him stand up straight.

"Now, open your right hand so that your fingers are pointing forwards.." Ren instructed as he grabbed Jaune's right arm.

"Like this?" Jaune said as he did what Ren had instructed.

"And now, apply pressure.." He continued as he straightened his pointing, middle, ring fingers and pressed down on a spot just below Jaune's wrist. "..here."

"Oh wow," Jaune said, looking surprised and noticeably less sickly now.

"Feeling better now?" Ren asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I feel great," Jaume answered back with a smile of his own. ", how'd you do that?"

Before he could answer, Nora zoomed to Ren's side and wrapped her right arm around him with her ever-cheery smile.

"Ren here is a total master when it comes to using pressure thingies." She started off. "Like, there was this one time, he put me to sleep just by poking me a lot. It didn't even hurt and I was out cold, like wham."

_"Pressure thingies?" _I thought. And with a squint, I could make out where exactly Ren was pressing down on. And then it hit me.

_"Oh..pressure points. So that's what she meant." _

"Thank you for your nice words Nora, but let's give Jaune here some breathing space." Ren addressed Nora as he let go of Jaune's arm.

"Okay!" She answered as she and Ren stepped back from Jaune.

"You feeling okay now Jaune?" I asked the blonde boy.

"Yeah, never been better." He replied with a light laugh. "So sorry you guys had to see that. I've got a bit of a problem with motion sickness."

"Don't worry Jaune. At least you didn't end up puking on anybody's shoes." I said with a small chuckle.

"Oh, yeah..that.." Jaune trailed off with a little laugh.

"Hey wait a minute now," Yang spoke up from behind me her voice starting to sound a bit...hostile. "you're that guy from the airship? The one that threw up on my shoes?"

"Uhm...w-well, you see...I..uh..sorry?" Jaune stuttered out as Yang took a step towards him while her eyes turned from the usual lilac to blood red. The ever clear sign that she was pissed off.

_"Uh-oh." _

"Come on Yang, there's no need-

"Well, I'm glad to see you guys made it." Another voice spoke up from behind us.

We all turned around to see who it was. Even Yang, who had been ready to lay into Jaune just a second ago calmed down, with her eyes turning back to lilac and stepping back from Jaune. And we were greeted with the sight of a girl. A girl that looked like one of those fashionista models on Yang's magazines.

"Oh, Miss Coco, greetings again." Ren greeted the girl, Coco, with a bow. "We apologize for suddenly running from you and your team earlier. Right, Nora?"

"Yeah..sorry." The girl in question meekly apologized and bowed her head a bit as she put her hands, along with her weapon, behind her.

"Oh, that's alright you two." She said with a carefree laugh that sounded almost like Yangs. "You were pumped for some action, don't worry, I get that too some times."

After she said that she looked towards us and smiled.

"Well hello there, I don't believe I've introduced myself to you three yet." She greeted us with a wave. "The name's Coco Adel, but you can just call me Coco. Oh and, welcome to Beacon."

"Hi Coco, my name's Ruby Rose." I introduced myself with a smile and a wave to the apparent fashionista.

"And I'm her sister, Yang Xiao Long." Yang introduced next.

"Oh! And I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you."

"Its a pleasure, all of you." Miss Cocco said to us with a nod.

"All right. I'd like to get to know you guys some more, but sorry to say, we've got to get a move on." She clapped her hands and walked past as she beckoned for us to follow. "Come on. I reckon its starting soon seeing as your the only freshmen left standing here."

_"Wait, what?" _I thought as I looked around with the others following my lead.

And as it turns out, we were the only ones left at the forest entrance.

"Whoa, they sure moved quick," Yang remarked as she scratched her head.

"Hey come on, else you'll miss the start." Miss Coco called back to us, already a good distance away.

"Well come on guys, what're we waiting for!? Let's go!" Nora exclaimed excitedly as she grabbed Ren and tugged him along.

"Those two sure are a piece of work," Yang said as she started walking forward.

"Yeah, but they are sweet though, in a weird kind of way." I threw in my thoughts on the matter as I followed her.

"It kinda is." Jaune agreed, walking along beside me.

Yang turned to the blonde boy to my left without stopping and pointed an accusing finger at him as she narrowed her eyes a bit.

"Hey, I'm still not over the whole puking on my shoe thing so your not off the hook just yet buster."

"Hey now, I apologized for it didn't I?" He replied.

"Yeah Yang, he's clearly sorry for it and besides, I don't think he even meant to do that in the first place." I defended to which she looked to me with a curious eye.

And when she saw I was being serious she relented with a sigh.

"Urgh, fine. But you still owe me one, Vomit-boy." Yang said as she turned away from Jaune.

"Vomit-bot? Where'd that come from?" Jaine asked back, confused at the moniker.

It was at that moment that I realized a horrible truth. A terrible mistake and my comeuppance were soon on its way via the Yang express.

_"Yang please, please, don't do it." _I mentally begged to her and hoping against all hope that she'd read my brainwaves and comply with my plea.

It's a bonified fact that Yang loves me. She kinda made it an ironclad statement throughout the years. But there are times, times of my life I'll never get back, where she'd tease me into red oblivion whenever she'd get the chance.

_"Please.."_

And by the gods she did, in fact, sense my plea, for she looked down to me and held my gaze for a few seconds_. _I shot her with my greatest convincing weapon, my signature puppy look as I slowly shook my head and mouthed the word "No". And for a moment, a single fleeting moment in time, I was convinced that just this once, she'd pass up the chance to tease me. But, like all moments, it passed. And what came next made me balk on the inside and out.

Yang grinned as her eyes shone with mischief. A look that I've come to deem as the coming of a great teasing.

"Yang-" I tried to tell her off but she locked my arms in a half hug and smiled over my head towards Jaune.

"Well, you see Jaune, Ruby here.." She nodded down towards me. "..called you, vomit-boy, when you so graciously decided to bless my shoes with your breakfast."

"Ruby?" He asked, sounding a little hurt.

At this, Yang finally released her hold on me and I turned to face Jaune. But not before throwing a punch towards Yang's solid abdomen to which she simply laughed it off.

"Listen Jaune, I..uh..didn't mean anything bad by it, honest. It just sorta slipped from my mouth." I explained to the blonde boy as we continued walking.

"Oh, you mean like how vomit does when you hurl?" Yang remarked unhelpfully from beside me.

And I would've shot her with another punch to the gut if Jaune hadn't spoken up right after.

"Oh, well that's good to hear. At least you didn't mean anything bad by it." He said as he shot me a smile before looking at Yang. "Listen, Yang, I know what I did was super gross but I really am sorry."

I looked towards Yang and for a few seconds, Yang didn't respond as she studied Jaune whilst never stopping her walk. And then she replied.

"All right, I'll forgive you for this..but..you still owe me."

I looked back to Jaune to see him smiling still and nodding.

"Thanks, Yang, that's all I ask."

"So..." I started off hesitantly with a small smile. "...no hard feelings Jaune?"

"Yeah." He answered me. "I'm not really the type to hold grudges or anything. Though, can you keep the nickname quiet? Please?"

Seeing this as a chance to reaffirm my stance with Jaune I quickly nodded my head in affirmation along with a bright smile.

"Of course Jaune, you can always count on me."

"Thanks, Ruby."

"Hey look, we're here," Yang spoke up.

And indeed we were. For just up ahead, at the forest's exit, I could see scores of people crowding. Excitement and anxiousness started to bubble up inside of me. I was excited because I was finally close to the fight. But I was anxious at the same time because of the number of people I could see. I'll freely admit, I had never been a social kind of type. Give me a person or two to talk to and I'd be just fine. But whole crowds worth of people? Ooh boy, that has never ended well for me.

_"Don't worry, it's fine. It's just a crowd. You can handle that many. Besides, you've fought bad guys already, this is gonna be a piece of-"_

Before I could even finish hyping myself up, we finally exited the forest's path. And much to my dismay, I was immensely proven wrong about the number of people here.

"Holy..." I breathlessly said as I studied the sight before my eyes.

We were currently standing on elevated ground, it was apparently high enough to give us a good view of the venue and the waves of people present. The crowd of people that I had seen earlier turned out to be a mere segment of the ring the people had formed around the field we were in. And it was no small field by any means. If I had to guess, it had to be somewhere around five hundred yards in length and half that in width. All in all, it was huge. And with the people surrounding it in all sides, it kinda reminded me of an arena. A spectacle with a huge fight underway.

"..shizz."

"Guys!" The voice of Nora called out from the distance. "Come on, Miss Coco got us front row seats."

I looked to Yang and Jaune and seeing that neither of them moved to oppose the offer I turned back towards Nora and hollered back to her.

"Yeah, we're coming!"

The two teens along with Miss Coco waited until we were close enough to them. Once we were, Miss Coco spoke up to address us.

"All right, follow me and stick close. There are over at least five hundred people here right now and you definitely don't wanna get separated in a crowd like this." She said as she turned from us and faced the blockade of people before her whilst whipping out a bronze medal. It was a medal with the symbol of Beacon embed to it.

"Excuse me, people." She spoke up to the ones in front of her. And they were quick to give their attention just as fast as their eyes locked onto the bronze medal Miss Coco had brought out. "If you'd all be so kind as to make way for a lady, it'd be very much appreciated."

The ones in front her nodded wordlessly and spoke to the others at the front as they stepped back to make a path. And like what had transpired with Professor Tobias, the large crowd parted and made a way clear for passage. Though this time, they didn't look frightened or shocked. Instead, they were calm and composed. Like this was totally normal.

_"What the heck is that medal?" _

"Thank you." Miss Coco said curtly with nodded before turning back to face us. "Well, come on then."

And a beat later we followed closely behind her and per her instructions earlier we kept a close distance as we made our way through. And the whole time I felt eyes focusing on me from everywhere. It was so much that I started fidgeting to grab Crescent Rose from my back holster as I carried on walking.

"Relax Rubes, you're fine," Yang reassured in a whisper beside me from my right.

"Why are they watching us?" I whispered back to her.

"There's a joke lying there somewhere but I'll get to that later." She started off with a shoo. "Anyway, you saw the bronze medal that Coco girl flashed out didn't you?"

"Yeah, what about it?" I answered.

"Well you see Rubes, that's no ordinary medal. Its full name is honoris autem numisma but we know them as medals of honor."

"Wait, is that olden speak?"

"Yep," she answered with a nod. ", you were supposed to be taught about those when you reached your last year at Signal but seeing as you skipped a few levels, you kinda missed out on it. But here's the gist of it. They're a form of recognition special only here in Beacon and each medal represents the year the holder is in. Bronze is for the second years, silver for the third, and gold for the fourth."

"Whoa, that's neat," I remarked quietly.

"And that's not all." She whispered some more. "With those things you can get a ton of free stuff."

"What kind of free stuff?"

"Mostly dust, ammunition, discounts, and most importantly, you get mad respect here in Beacon."

"Okay, I can understand the first three but how does the respect one work?"

"Think of it like this Rubes. The fourth years have superiority over the third and the third over the second and the second over us, the first years. And I even heard rumors that you can get a ton of other secret bonus stuff the higher your year level."

"But if that's true then why is miss Coco helping us out?"

It was kinda strange. Miss Coco had the bronze medal with her then that means she's a second year. And if the hierarchy that Yang had mentioned was true then that would mean Miss Coco wasn't obligated to help us first years by any means. So why was she doing this?

"It's because Nora begged for it." Ren coolly answered to my left, making me jump a bit.

"R-Ren? You were listening?" I stammered out.

"The both of you need to work on your whispering skills some more." He said simply with a small smile.

"Wait, what do you mean by she begged for it?" Yang asked now using an even tone.

"She stuck to my leg and said she wouldn't let go until I gave you guys a front-row seat to the fight." This time it was Miss Coco who answered. "And well, I kinda felt bad for her so I thought; "the heck with it, it's just you guys" and now here you are, on your way to the best seats in the house."

I looked to Nora and no doubt the others did too, sans Ren for obvious. And the mentioned girl was simply smiling and humming a tune happily as she skipped.

_"Huh. And here I thought I was persuasive one." _I thought with an amused smile.

"Again, I apologize for the inconvenience Miss Coco," Ren said to the girl walking in the front.

"Don't worry, it's fine." Miss Coco replied with a laugh. "Besides, it'd be nice to be a favorite so you better pass the entrance exam tomorrow so you guys can stick around."

_"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that." _I thought.

"And here we are folks." Miss Coco said as we finally exited ourselves from the sea of people and faced the open field with no obscurities. ", the best seats in the house."

There weren't actually any seats of course, but I could see why this would be considered as the "best seats in the house". We were after all at the very forefront and the closest we could personally witness the fight that would come.

"Ah~! Miss Adel, how nice to see you here." A chirpy voice sounded from our right. It seemed to be a woman's voice.

And when we turned to see, we saw that it was indeed a woman. A woman with the greenest hair that I had ever seen, it was tied in a really nice looking braid and wore one of those really white lab coats I see doctors wear at hospitals. She was making her way towards us, her hands behind her back as she maintained a lovely looking smile.

"Hey there Prof. Zoe." Miss Coco greeted back the green-haired woman with a wave and a smile. "I was just taking these kiddos here to a good view of the fight. Speaking of."

Miss Coco turned towards us and raised her hand in a gesture as she addressed the woman, who I now know as Professor Zoe.

"Miss Zoe, meet Ruby Rose.." She started off.

"Hello." I greeted with a smile and a wave.

"Hello there sweetie." Miss Zoe sweetly greeted me back with a wave of her own.

"..Yang Xiao Long.."

"Sup Prof."

"Well, aren't you just lovely."

"..John Arc.."

"Its, ah...it's actually Jaune, Jaune Arc, but yeah..i-its Jaune."

"Oooh~, quite the exotic name you have, young man."

"Oh, uhm..thank you, ma'am."

".. and next we have these two. Lie Ren.." Miss Coco gestured to Ren.

"Greetings." He greeted with a low bow.

"Ah, let's see, uhm...Wènhòu hé huānyíng, wǒ xīwàng nǐ zài zhèlǐ de dòuliú jiāng shì màncháng ér fùyǒu chéngxiào de. I hope I said that right, my Mistralian has gotten a bit rusty."

"Not to worry, it was quite well-spoken." Answered Ren. "And thank you, Ma'am, we hope so as well."

"..and last but not least, Nora Valkyrie."

"Hi, there~! I love your hair by the way."

"Hello, and thank you for the compliment darling."

"So yeah, that's them. And, I kinda promised id get them a good view of the fight so...here I am."

"Well, that's rather generous of you Miss Adel." Professor Zoe remarked.

"Well, you know me, Prof, always happy to help whenever."

"Yes, I suppose so." Professor Zoe replied with a laugh. "But wheres the rest of your team?"

"Oh, I told them to gather at the usual. I was actually on my way there when I stumbled on this lot." Miss Coco answered, gesturing a nod towards us. "So Prof, if its not too much trouble-"

"Yes Miss Adel, you can leave these kids to me. I was already planning on standing here in position for the fight." Professor Zoe cut off with a light laugh.

"Thanks a million, Prof." Miss Coco thanked the Professor before turning towards us. "So guys I've got to get back to my team now so Professor Zoe will be taking care of you from here on out. If you've any concerns just tell it to her. She's a pretty chill lady."

"Thank you, Miss Adel."

"Anytime Prof." Miss Coco said back as she started walking eastward but not before letting out the last word. "Enjoy the fight kiddos and I hope I'll see you lot again when classes start back up."

"She does know were like..only a year... younger than her right?" Yang spoke up once Miss Coco had distanced herself far enough to disappear from our field of vision.

"Oh she does," Professor Zoe answered with a chuckle. ", but that's how she is. Always going in for the tease whenever the chance makes itself known."

"Huh, almost like someone I know," I said with a sideways look towards Yang.

"Oh please Rubes, I bet I could tease better than her." Yang confidentiality replied with a grin and a cock of her hip.

"Id not tempt fate so freely if I were you, Miss Xiao Long. It has ways of surprising the best of us. Every time."

"Yeah yeah, sure," Yang answered in her ever so Yang like way. "So Prof, when's the fight gonna start?"

"Oho, well arent you spriteful." Professor Zoe remarked with a gentle shake of her head. "But to answer your question Miss Xiao Long, the fight is already underway." She answered whilst looking to the left.

For a moment I was confused as to what exactly she meant by that when there wasn't anything happening on the field. But that moment passed like the wind when I heard the people behind us whispering in chorus. It was a jumble of noises but I could make out a phrase that kept repeating amongst the masses. It was; "the beast." Because of this, when I turned to face the direction Miss Zoe was facing, I wasn't that surprised to see Professor Tobias making his way towards the center of the field.

"And here comes the challenger." Miss Zoe remarked as she looked to the right.

We turned to see a portly looking man wearing a red-themed suite making his way towards the center of the field as well. He looked to be older than Professor Tobias, what with all the gray in his hair and a bushy mustache.

"That man there, children, is Peter Port." Miss Zoe spoke up when we zeroed in our attention on the portly man. "He is a veteran huntsman and will be your Professor in Grimm studies should you pass the initiation.

_" Ooh~! A professor about Grimm. He must be really cool!_"

A few moments later, the two Professors stopped in the middle of the field with a few meters of distance between them. I was ecstatic and I could tell the rest were too, what with all the excited chatter going around.

"May I have everyone's attention." A familiar woman's voice boomed from the distance.

With a second look, I found Miss Goodwitch herself standing beside the headmaster over at the other side of the field.

_"Wow. Her voice's pretty powerful to reach all the way here."_

"This is an unsanctioned spar. Both combatants will battle in unarmed combat. Aura meters will be watched and once it has reached red levels the fight will cease. Am I clear?"

It was clear enough. Just fight without any weapons and once aura drops to critical levels they stop. I wonder why she gazed at Professor Peter when she had said that.

"Ha-ha, crystal clear Miss Goodwitch!" Professor Peter jollily called back to the blonde woman.

"Tobias?" She inquired the giant man.

"Understood Ma'am." Was his astute reply.

"Ren, it's about to start! The battle of the ages!" Nora excitedly shrieked as she furiously shook the Mistralian boy.

"So it would seem Nora." He calmly replied once Nora had stooped shaking him.

"Let's see what the big guy can do," Yang remarked.

"Yeah!" I couldn't help but let out a cheer of excitement. To which the rest of the crowd followed suit.

"On my signal, commence battle." Miss Goodwitch said to not only us but the fighters in the middle.

"Ready.." The two professors opted for their stances.

"Set.." Unmoving and unflinching, the two locked gazes. With Professor Tobias gazing down and Professor Port gazing up.

_"Here we go!" _I thought as everyone, sans the Professors, stared and leaned forward in anticipation.

"Begin!"

* * *

**CHAPTER END...**

**A/N: Le gasp...another cliffhanger? Yes, it most definitely is. ****The next chapter is going to be centered on the battle. I had originally planned to put the fight here but it felt like I was cramming too much in one chapter, so decided to split it. And thus, this.**

**All right, that's all I had to say for now. This has been Starco4Lofe, wishing you all a good morning/afternoon/evening from the Philippines. **


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